And the winner is.......

Recently I’ve been extremely lucky to be involved in judging our marketing industry awards. Whilst knee deep in some fantastic work it struck me that not only had a hell of a lot of effort gone into running these campaigns but also a significant amount of skill and care had gone into crafting the award entries – which got me thinking is it really worth it?

On reflection, it’s a very big yes from me and let me tell you why.

Even the act of entering awards shows team members that the company values their work and acknowledges their contribution to the business’ success. Being shortlisted and possibly winning gives teams a huge amount of pride that can lead to an increase in morale and a big boost in motivation.

Internal recognition increases motivation

One of the key factors behind why an agency should place importance on awards is to help recognise the different teams within the business. Every campaign is an agency wide effort - not just the client service folk.?All teams work hard to produce incredible results for clients across the board, so an award is recognition not just for the work done for clients, but for the teams themselves and the hard work they put in day in day out.

External reputation and strengthen business relationships

Awards can be a great indicator of companies that truly uphold best practice and can help externally validate all the hard work that goes on internally.

Everybody wants clients to be impressed by the agency and how it treats its people, not just because it generates respect and shows them that you are in the best position to help them with their needs, but also because clients want to know they are working with a business that is good to their people.

Helps define the agency

Entering awards can provide an ideal opportunity to define what the agency stands for. Many agency founders start their business based on a personal experience, and embedding this deeper purpose in your business can enable you to clarify your values and your message in a very public way.

It is hard to underestimate the value of getting the agency ‘awards ready’.

Being clear on your message will not only strengthen your award application, but also your elevator pitches and marketing materials moving forward. It may also enable you to differentiate yourself from your competitors and stand out from the crowd, which is incredibly valuable no matter what you do.

Attract talent

As well as attracting new clients, awards can help attract and retain new recruits who want to be associated with an award-winning company. The opportunity to work for a company who have strong accolades to their name can entice talent at every level and help your company enhance their talent pool with people eager to uphold and advance the company reputation.

Attract new business

A good reputation can lead to client wins and revenue increases while a bad reputation can harm a company’s financial standing beyond repair in a matter of hours. Awards are a great way of building a strong, positive reputation and that can be a magnet for new business. Clients want to know that they will be receiving award winning services and these wins can act as perfect testimonials.

Agency health check

Company-specific awards allow you to evaluate how you are improving year on year and provide a great opportunity to really look at the inner workings of your company. Going up the ranks over the years demonstrates that you’re doing more than just listening to feedback from team members, it shows that you are learning and implementing change to keep ahead of the competition and future-proof the business.

A bit of a shindig

The ceremonies also give you a great opportunity to reward team members, treat clients and partners to a bit of a knees up.

A time to reflect

Whatever the outcome of the awards you enter, the time taken to reflect on your business journey can highlight achievements. It also gives you an opportunity to compare your current situation against previously set goals, and consider how far you’ve come, as well as next steps to become a successful - and potentially award-winning - business.

Our trade bodies will thank you

For our trade organisations like The Alliance of Independent Agencies ( Alliance of Independent Agencies ) and Institute of Promotional Marketing ( The Institute of Promotional Marketing (IPM) ) – a thriving awards event is vital part of their business. So, by entering the awards you will be supporting the folk who are supporting and representing us – so a real win win.

Our sector is full of talented and dedicated individuals doing great work. So, let’s do our bit to shine a spotlight on them and get your award entries in without delay.

And when you’ve had your award-winning idea if you’d like Halo to support you with cost certainty and mitigating the risk then please give me a shout.