Whether it’s the Oscars, the Nobel Prize or recognition by a local organization in your hometown, award nominations are an important component of the public relations and marketing mix and can deliver valuable business-building benefits. Submitting award nominations is a public relations tactic that we recommend to clients as a great way to generate positive awareness about their successes and commitments, enhanced by the third-party endorsement of the organization bestowing the awards.
When company leaders question the value of award nominations, we ask them to keep in mind that awards can increase their visibility in the community or industry, elicit respect for their business model and ultimately impact the bottom line through increased productivity and sales.
Visibility
From the announcement of the nominees to the award ceremony and post-event press release, the positive repercussions are a surefire way to obtain beneficial name recognition.
The first significant wave of publicity from awards typically occurs with the announcement of the finalists. Publications that sponsor awards often run feature stories highlighting all the finalists as well as advertisements selling tickets to the awards reception.
The second wave of publicity usually covers the awards ceremony. Finalists are listed in the program which every attendee receives, and also are acknowledged during the presentation of awards. In addition, for those who know how to “work a room,” events can be a worthwhile business-building occasion.
The final publicity opportunity can be captured whether or not there is an award reception. Once a company or person is recognized as a finalist, you can write and distribute a press release announcing the achievement and distribute it to local daily, weekly, monthly, business and trade media. If possible, this press release should be distributed with a photo of the winner or company representative receiving the award.
Credibility
Anyone can claim to be a leader in his or her field, but winning an award or being a finalist substantiates this proclamation. Recognition by an unaffiliated party always has more sway with clients than an internally produced self-promotion.
Bottom Line Results
Everybody wants to be on a winning team. When a company wins an award or is named a finalist, company morale increases as employees feel they contributed to the achievement and are being recognized as a group for their accomplishments. Studies consistently show that recognizing employees for their hard work increases productivity and that when employees feel good about their organization, their enthusiasm soars.
By Rachel Shapiro