Corporate Awards as a Winning Strategy
Buster Kennedy
Ask those the “Academy” has honored
over the years - the addition of “Oscarwinning actor” or actress can sure
punch up a resume. The award, one
of their industry’s most visible, adds
credibility and notoriety to the winners
and nominees it touches, and can be the
defining moment of a career.
While we cannot all clutch a golden
statue before a crowded theater and
international television audience, plenty
of industry awards are available to small
businesses and larger corporations
alike, providing the opportunity for
professionals and their companies to
stand out. Just like the Oscar, these
accolades can offer more than a
moment in the spotlight before peers.
Real business benefits, from a credibility
boost to a public relations touch point,
can result from a well-earned industry
award.
Choose an awards program wisely,
create a stellar entry and use those
ensuing wins to best advantage. The
benefit is a solid opportunity to build
business and enhance reputation.
Choosing the Right Awards Programs
Local and national, objective and
subjective, awards programs and the
submissions they require take a wide
range of forms.
Play to your strengths. First, examine
your company’s strengths. Search
for and enter one (or a
few) awards
programs that play to those pluses.
Have a compelling story, with business
owners showing great creativity, or
succeeding despite challenges? Does
your company take special pride in its
satisfied employees and innovative
programs and benefits? Focus on essaybased entries, such as a program to
honor women entrepreneurs, or one for
business owners who have overcome
adversity.
A strong company project, such
as a marketing campaign or product
launch, may qualify for an innovation
award or one honoring best practices.
These awards programs are sometimes
sponsored by local chambers of
commerce, industry organizations or
business publications.
Businesses with strong financial
or area growth over a fiscal year
might consider an objective awards
program with a local or regional focus.
Become certified as one of the “Top,”
“Most Innovative” or “Fastest Growing”
companies in your field with one of these
numbers-heavy awards.
Balance the time commitment. Some
awards submissions require basic
company information and the hard
numbers, like financial reporting, while
others call for essays, detailed project
outlines, or employee surveys. Be
realistic about the time required for each
submission, and focus on those for
which you have both a strong case and
the time to complete the entry.
Consider your audience.
National contests,
professional
organizations, or
business publications
are an option, or
a local award
may prove more
compelling for
the customer
audience you
hope to impress
with a win.
Using your Win
You have entered
the perfect awards
competitions for
your company, and
have impressed the
judging panel enough for
a win. Now that you have
O n e Profession. One Voice.
won, how can the award be used to full
advantage?
Maximize public relations outreach.
Chances are strong the organization
through which you received the award
will use public relations to announce
its winners, garnering free publicity for
your company. Stay in touch with the
organization’s publicity contact, and
complement his or her efforts with a
little publicity push of your own. For
example, you may get interest through
trade magazines that serve your
company’s industry in addition to the
general business coverage the awards
organization is seeking.
Strengthen marketing materials and
other communications. Do not be afraid
to list your awards on your sales sheets,
future press releases, on your web site
and anywhere else it makes sense.
The Intangibles
Far more important than the trophy
or certificate itself, an industry award
can add an invaluable third-party
endorsement to your company’s
credentials. This endorsement can both
strengthen your company’s position,
and improve your standing with new
business leads.
Next time a salesperson or account
executive in your company assures a
new customer your company is reliable,
healthy and growing, he or she will have
a handy award to back up the claim.
Just like the Oscar on the mantle, the
award may lead to a few new quality
gigs.
Buster Kennedy is the marketing
manager for Elliott Davis, LLC, one of
the largest accounting and business
advisory firms in the Southeast.
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