As I dust off my dinner suit for another outing it got me thinking
about Awards in general. They say it’s an honour just to be nominated,
although, that’s usually said through clenched teeth.
So what’s the point of submitting your work for awards? All that
hard work completing the entries, not to mention the expense. Well, for me,
there are a number of important elements. Awards allow us to publicly recognise
our clients and colleagues for their great work. They give us a chance to
celebrate the things we do well, and acknowledge those magic moments when it
all comes together. But more importantly, the submissions process itself is a
great opportunity for us to brush up on our storytelling skills.
In the end, it all comes down to what we say and how we say it. Awards enable us to bring out the anecdotes and the inside scoop. They force us to be compelling because we want to win.
And remember, there’s no such thing as a loser, when it comes to
awards. You might not go home with the trophy, but if you play it right, you
could still walk away with a contacts book full of new names and number. People
who’ve seen your work and want to know more.
Now, there’s another side to awards that not everyone gets to
experience. And it’s just as valuable. I’m talking about being asked to judge
them.
I’ve done it many times, and it’s always an honour. I’ve spent many
happy weeks sitting on all manner of judging panels for a wide variety of
industry awards. The only downside, is that every time I’m asked, I seem to
forget how much hard work is involved. Trust me, those guys on the X-factor
don’t know the half of it.
Judging other people’s work is a tough job. I guess all those
years on the other side of the process have given me an appreciation for where
the entries are coming from.
I’ve slaved over those entry forms. I’ve gathered the data. And I’ve
written the summaries. So I feel an obligation to every entrant to afford them
the time they clearly deserve. And when the standard is so very high (and it
really is) judging becomes even more difficult.
So, in the interest of full disclosure, here are some top tips for
standing out when submitting work for consideration. This is advise from both
sides of the table:
Read the criteria carefully, to be excluded on a technicality (and
you will be) is annoying
You need to stand out, be memorable.
Tell a story, but make it short, because wading through an ocean
of text is hard.
Make the key take-outs immediately obvious.
Don’t underestimate the value of a great client endorsement.
Think about what is background information, and what was key to
your success.
Videos and images all help tell your story.
Results, results, results – the bigger the better.
And don’t be put off by the fact that there’s a form to fill in.
There are ways around that. Some of the best submissions I’ve ever seen have
simply attached an appendix, full of the stories they didn’t get to tell in the
formal document.
And finally…
Sorry to be that guy, but check your spelling,
punctuation and grammar.
Individually, it’s not vital, but when reading entry after entry
it can become wearying.
So good luck.
Be brilliant.
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