Roll out the red carpet for award recognition.
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending my very first American Advertising Federation Northern Illinois ADDY Awards ceremony, which honors the excellent advertising work produced by some of our most creative local organizations in northern Illinois.
Chartwell Agency took home one gold, two silver and four bronze awards for our work with such organizations as Wesley Willows , Northern Illinois Vein Clinic and Anderson Japanese Gardens . We love helping our clients craft the perfect messages and deliver them through a variety of formats – from printed materials to commercials – to build their brands and their businesses.
One of those ADDY awards is for our blog series, Chartwell Insights, where we discuss trends and news in the marketing and communications industry each week. Maintaining this blog is a priority for us, and one of our goals as an organization moving forward is to submit more of our work for recognition within our industry.
Think about how much time Hollywood dedicates to awards season – the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Academy Awards, to name a few that are televised. Awards and industry recognition should be a priority for your business or organization, too. There are local, regional, national and, sometimes, international opportunities, depending on the size and scope of your industry.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when devoting time to bringing recognition to your business.
Develop a plan and stick to it. One of the many areas where we excel is helping clients develop calendars that act as the backbone for marketing and communications efforts. The calendar is a great place to plug in (and link to) award nomination home pages, list when the awards are due and remind your team to publicize your wins.
Watch those deadlines. Those calendars are especially handy for award deadlines, particularly if you’re reapplying for recognition for the awards at the same time every year. Make sure to factor in time to complete the nominations, which can sometimes be lengthy. Even if the nominations only include a few questions, it can still take time to craft the perfect answers. Also leave plenty of time to seek out nomination letters if those are required.
Promote your wins. You went to the trouble to apply for those awards, so make sure to do some public relations tied to your wins. Post a note in the news or blog section of your website. Send out a press release to your local media. And be sure to repurpose the content on your social media sites. Post photos of your team at awards ceremonies, too. (Check out our photos from the ADDYs on Facebook and Instagram .)
It’s still early in 2018, with plenty of time left to seek out recognition for your company or organization. We can help you find those opportunities, draft well-executed nominations and promote those awards to a wide audience.
