Which is why we spend hours meticulously writing detailed responses for award submissions, in a hope that we get listed as a finalists and even better win!
With the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards regional finals on this week, I have been reflecting on how getting into the finals of this prestigious program changed the Red PR Group business. Like a builder, we are often forget about our own home, so when EY contacted me to say I had been nominated, it was the kick in the pants I needed. It was an honour to be a finalist in the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year category and indeed when writing the submission I took stock of how far we have come and what the company has achieved. In ten years, I was a little bit proud of what we have achieved and I hope my team was too. To see me talking about the Red PR Group journey check this out!
This year we have decided to give the business awards a break and focus on industry specific. We do so much fabulous work and apart from our clients who see the results, who else knows? We are a PR agency if we can’t toot our own horn, no one else will! So watch this space for hopefully a few more industry related award wins this year.
The importance of award wins is often underestimated, however it can do so much to position your brand. Lets also not be naive, like everything in life awards are often political too, so do you have your annual plan ready of what awards you will enter this year and what you need to do to win them?
By this I mean, have you got your publicity plan ready? Award recipients are rarely brands that have little to no profile, they are brands we know, love and want to know more about. Have you thought about all the criteria? Does your company need to prove they support the environment, have charity alignments, embraced technology, or have a thriving intern program that demonstrates you support the next generation in your industry? All of these elements contribute to your overall brand perception and are important factors in deciding if your brand is worthy of an award win.
Whether they are industry specific, or business related, an award win will separate your businesses from your competitors, it will add prestige and credibility to your brand, it will allow staff and clients to feel a sense of achievement that they work with an award winning brand and most certainly it will allow you to raise awareness of your brand amongst networks that are hard to break into.
So what award will you enter this year?
