What you need to understand BEFORE you submit…
Industry awards are given to individuals and businesses for products and/or services to recognise exceptional performance, contribution or achievement. They are often presented by industry associations, trade publications or other bodies as a way of acknowledging excellence and encouraging best practices. The criteria for award winning varies but generally they reflect qualities such as innovation, leadership, impact on the industry and, especially important over the past few years, sustainability.
So why don’t the best ideas always win?
Having a great idea is only one part of the equation when it comes to winning an industry award. Even if the idea is innovative, creative and well thought out, it may not win if the submission is poorly executed. Poorly executed submissions can include factors such as:
- incomplete or inaccurate information
- unclear or confusing language
- lack of supporting evidence or data
- lack of attention to detail
- incorrect reading of the submission brief
Judges may not be directly for the industry background so need to be able to see the whole picture, backed up with evidence, in order to be able to fully understand and appreciate the value of the idea. Judges may ultimately choose to award a submission that is presented more effectively, even if it’s not as strong in terms of the underlying idea.
Avoid the mistakes…
* Read the brief – this may sound obvious, but having been on judging panels, it’s clear that this does not always happen.
* Understand the brief – understand the category, what is required to stand out and what the criteria for judging is needs careful consideration.
* If presenting, know your stuff! The judges will ask questions and, while some attributes may be obvious to you, judges may not always be from your specific industry so be prepared with answers.
Is it worth the hassle?
Winning an industry award can bring numerous benefits including increased visibility and credibility, improved reputation, enhanced brand recognition and opportunities for networking and collaboration. They also provide valuable feedback and recognition for the hard work, innovation and dedication to the cause, boosting employee morale and motivation too.
Put you and your business in the best possible position to WIN
Unless you are part of a large corporate, the chances are that you don’t have the resource to allow someone to focus solely on this!