Creating an awards strategy can be a valuable piece of the public relations campaign.
It can be a big boost to helping companies build their brand, build awareness and connect certain messages with targeted audiences.
While most larger businesses understand the value of an awards strategy, a number of small and medium sized firms fail to pursue these golden PR nuggets. They either do not grasp the concept, do not allocate the time to professionally fill out forms, or simply do not make it a key part of their marketing efforts.
Winning an award or multiple awards can produce a great number of benefits both outside and inside an organization.
First, it enables you to connect with clients and prospects that you won the award. It “reinforces” current customers that they are doing business with a sound and reliable company. It informs prospective customers that you are a serious and well thought of organization. Someone they should consider as a business partner.
Second, it serves as a great PR and sales tool. Savvy businesses will create a campaign based on winning the award. They will create a news release or news releases based on the award win. They will send those releases to area and national publications and generate valuable coverage.
The business can also create a social media campaign and highlight the award on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. They can post it on their website, blog about the award, and make it part of their email newsletter.
Third, the award has great value within the organization. If several employees took the time and effort to help garner the prize they can be recognized at a company or department meeting. Those employees can be featured in the company’s newsletter and highlighted in a poster or flyer in meeting places around the building. The award can be showcased in the main office lobby where everyone can view it. All employees will have another reason to feel confident about their work and their contributions to the success of the company.
Certainly many awards have a questionable feel. Some appear to be purchased and not earned. Yet many are of high quality and granted only to companies that meet certain criteria and survive a rigourous judging process. Businesses need to do a little investigating and determine the key value of each honor.
Organizations who actively pursue key awards can receive the kind of industry recognition that produces great public relations value both internally and externally.
