By Nana Rodaki 

Celebrating an award win is a milestone for every company. Industry accolades raise brand awareness, boost team morale, cement customer relationships, and help an organisation’s talent recruitment efforts. They are also a conversation-enabler in sales, helping to spark or continue conversations with prospects. Having well-respected third-party experts validating the technology provides the type of strong proof-points sales teams need to close deals. The fact that award entries typically feature metrics on delivery and customer success gives added ammunition in the sales teams’ arsenal. 

But awards can mean so much more than a logo on the company website. Businesses can turn award entries into a strategic marketing exercise and extract more business value.

Here are three ways that entering awards can be used to drive a positive impact on a business:

Think strategically about awards

Businesses with a strategic approach to awards use them as key assets for their marketing and sales activities. For these businesses, entering awards is front of mind right from the outset. Although no two award entries are the same, they typically follow the same rationale — they are opportunities to demonstrate strategy, tactics, and results and shout about positive and measurable impact. 

Adopting an ‘awards mentality’ from the early stages of a project enables businesses to stay focused on mapping tactics to overall strategy and objectives, and track KPIs and deliverables. In addition, working on an award entry is the perfect opportunity for a business to reflect on the work it is delivering and identify areas of strength and weakness that can inform future campaign strategy and execution.  

Make the most of customer relationships

Entering awards with customers reinforces professional relationships. Even if not winning, joined award entries can form the basis of customer case studies, given that most of the work on the deployment, objectives, and results has been laid out and approved. These case studies showcase customer success stories which become an additional asset for marketing and new business activity.

Turn award entries into networking opportunities 

Award entries can act as a segue to raise brand awareness amongst judging panels. Award judges are typically influential industry figures, including analysts, journalists, and potential customers and partners. By reviewing your award entry, they find out about your company, your strategic thinking, and the great results you are delivering. Regardless of the outcome, the award entry can be a stepping stone to spark conversations that could act as invaluable networking opportunities and even lead to business partnerships.

When used strategically, award entries help drive conversations. Entering awards can act as a platform to connect with existing and new contacts, including customers, prospects, industry friends, and judges. For businesses approaching awards strategically, entering awards can be a winning strategy of its own.

If you want to discuss how to be more strategic with your communications, drop us a line at hello@platformcomms.com