I was recently a judge at the PRCA Dare awards and it was amazing to see the breadth and scale of award entries from across the country. I judged two categories and probably nearly 100 hundred entries.
When I first judged an awards over 8 years ago, we all got together to read the entries and debate the results, but now the process was simplified by doing it all online culminating in a group conference with the other judges to decide which of our shortlist were the lucky winners.
Without giving the game away, there were some really strong themes that emerged that showcased what a brilliant award entry looks like. But equally there were some pitfalls to watch out for both for those entering awards but also for our industry to take notice of to drive best practice and business critical results for our clients.
Here are my tips and observations:
- Simplicity: The summary paragraph in the award entry setting the scene and impact is incredibly important to signal to the judge that this is an award to take notice of. With nearly 100 entries to judge anything the entrant can do to help the judge is undeniably impactful; Think of it like a press release, the first few paragraphs are critical
- Style: Some clever entries make their awards standout, by creating a beautiful visual template to present it in. Whilst its by no means required or impacts the outcome of the decision, it certainty provided a nice break from the monotony of the Microsoft word templates
- Impact, Impact, Impact: There was no question for me that some of the best award entries have a clear and tangible impact on the business they represent. Coverage, share of voice and engagement is important but showcasing how this coverage impacts on business leads, sales and sentiment pushes the impact to another level. I know it’s the holy grail of our industry, but it was really welcoming to see so many entrants showcasing these business impact metrics in their entries
- Adding Value: Before you decide to enter, ask yourself, what’s the extra special quality that makes your award entry stand out? Is a good press office enough, how does it go the extra mile, what is unique and different about it?
- Integration: Great campaigns are not pigeon holed by the ‘category’ they represent such as ‘b2b or digital’. They tend to be integrated across channel and platform showcasing how a great idea can live and breath across earned, owned and paid for channels. The creative hook and how it is amplified everywhere that is possible will definitely effect the results of the campaign
- ROI: It’s amazing what can be done with a great idea and small budget. These campaigns tend to stand out, so if you have a campaign that has a big budget (good for you), but make sure you clearly showcase how this budget drove the ROI so they can be directly comparable to those who are not as lucky
- The Hook. When all else is said, getting the creative right through a simple hook is critical. Sometimes this is based on gut feel, or research into your target audience. But you just know when a great campaign is staring at you in the face