Awards – the complicated, expensive, and time-consuming process that often results in failure. Why do we do it?
Being recognised for outstanding work is an exciting and enticing part of growing as a business, but the process of applying for awards comes with its own set of complex challenges. In early May, Driftime® were recognised by the Company Culture Awards as Remote Team of the Year, as well as being listed as a finalist for the Best Small Agency to Work For for the second year running, a brilliant moment for the Drifteam, but also a moment of reflection for how we managed to navigate the maze of awards applications to best showcase our work and practice. We’ve learnt a lot from finally getting that win, but have also been thinking about what we continue to learn from leaving empty handed, and thought it might be time to share our thoughts on how to get the most out of applying to awards in and beyond the creative industries.
Crafting a strategy for success
The vast majority of awards cost money to enter, and many also have a hefty ticket price to join the ceremony and celebrations. It’s often for good reason – awards organisations are typically businesses, designed to recognise outstanding practice and projects, whilst also making money, but this financial angle calls for a well thought out strategy. The trick is to be particularly choosy when it comes to where you invest your awards budget, committing your money and time to awards bodies that are thorough in their examination and rigorous in their approach to recognition. Be strategic, be meticulous, and ask the questions you need the answer to, and you might just be going home with the trophy…
💥 Are you project, process, or practice focused?
Broadly speaking, awards bodies tend to be industry or agency focused, either recognising outstanding work from an objective perspective, or acknowledging company culture and internal practices. Decide where your focus is and establish a plan of action.
3️⃣ Think three years ahead
Experiment with frameworks like 2Y3X to gain perspective on the future of the business and shape a strategy that accounts for the future. Thinking three years ahead gives you an opportunity to set goals that make sense – act on your current strengths and plan for your future achievements. Applying for an award you’re not ready for yet isn’t always wise.
👯 Let them know if you’re a small business
A bigger business means a bigger budget. If you don’t have the same money allocated for awards as more established companies, the likelihood is you can’t apply for the same volume of awards. It’s always worth reaching out to awards bodies to see if they can offer a small business discount – the worst they can say is “no”!
“Commit your money and time to awards bodies that are thorough in their examination and rigorous in their approach to recognition.”
Driftime®Capturing the good, the bad, and the award winning
It might feel counterintuitive, but being clear about what you’ve overcome (and how you did it) can win you a great deal of respect. Showcasing the full scope of your practice or project calls for radical transparency – being honest about what didn’t quite go to plan is a really powerful method of capturing what sets you apart from the competition. When it comes to company culture and more agency-specific awards, the process of documenting and archiving examples goes a long way. Have a read below for some top tips…
⏳ Be ambitious, but realistic
Take a good look at past winners and those shortlisted to get a guide on the standard of work that’s being recognised. It’s important to be ambitious, but reality hits hard when you’ve sunk a lot of money and time into an award application and don’t even get a mention. Is now the right time to apply? Biding your time can sometimes be the right answer.
✍️ Keep evidencing throughout the year
When it comes to company culture awards in particular, documenting specific examples of good practice adds a new dimension to your application. Talking the talk only goes so far – evidencing your good work from all perspectives makes it easier for judges to get a clear idea about the day-to-day of the business.
💬 Get creative with testimonials
Give your application depth of character with personal testimonials from both the team and the wider network of clients, colleagues, and collaborators. Go beyond the bounds of the written word and experiment with video, a medium that can easily convey tone and enthusiasm to judges. Get creative!
Gaining feedback from failure
If there’s one thing we’ve learnt; the first entry is not always award-winning, often acting more as a learning experience for future applications than as a sure-fire and easy first-time win. Each awards body has a slightly different opinion on what makes a winning application, and so each new entry calls for a fresh approach, something that often becomes clearer after the first submission. It’s an investment to apply for an award with the understanding that you most likely won’t win, but it’s worth doing, and feeds into the three year awards strategy that we can build – it makes sense to budget for failure when it leads to learning.
🧐 Be prepared to find your own feedback
Sadly, it’s relatively hard to find an awards body that honours your investment in their process with feedback. The Company Culture Awards is unusual in its commitment to providing detailed feedback on your applications; both those successful and unsuccessful. Reach out for feedback if it’s not offered, but also be prepared to find your own feedback through reflection.
💡 Take inspiration from the winners
Take a look at the winners and see what they’re doing differently. Dig into case studies, LinkedIn posts, and blog pieces to learn more about their practice, and take inspiration from what they’re doing differently to help inform your next round of applications, and more general business practice.
❤️🩹 Try, try, and try again!
Reframe an award loss as a learning experience, treating the investment in the process as an opportunity to expand your perspective for the next time. Stay open-minded, ask questions, and try again next year. You never know what the outcome might be…
