PRCA Pulse by Khaled AlShehhi, PRCA Board Member, Executive Director of Digital Communication at UAE Government Media Office; Ministry of Cabinet Affairs
And the winner is…
There is a time in the year when all we seem to do is work on our entries in advertising award competitions, followed by another when we await the results with bated breath. We could easily ask ourselves whether it is worth this stress. Well, for me, it is a resounding yes, win or lose. Here is why.
As long as you pick an honourable and reputable award show, with a rigorous entry and judging process and a prestigious jury panel, the first benefit is having to review your work against a set of criteria other than your own. If you can articulate your case to someone else and impress them, then you may have a potential entry.
Often, you will need to solidify your case with additional evidence or information. This is a revealing process that can lead to new insights and new ideas for future implementation.
Writing an award entry is a unique experience that forces you to dissect your campaign, especially as a collective piece of work, and distil its essence clearly, concisely and convincingly. It’s a series of hard editing choices, which can bruise egos, but also an essential step towards that powerful elevator pitch that you can use in multiple contexts.
Regardless of how far a case goes in any given award competition or across several, this is an education process that serves all participants well. Reviewing past winning entries is inspiring, enlightening and a masterclass in how to present your work for maximum effect. They also act as benchmarks against which you need to stand, either in creativity or effectiveness terms.
Advertising, media, PR, design; agencies of any kind have long understood the value of awards to their reputation and bottom line. Research has shown that winning an industry award can see over a 37% growth in revenue over a company’s competitors, putting its brand in the spotlight in front of a room full of industry experts and the sector as a whole. This highest form of independent recognition from peers puts the winner’s brand at the top of its field, enhancing the potential for new business.
It is equally good for clients, both the brand and the marketer. While marketers will not use industry awards as credentials for new business or consumer marketing, even though some have, it does make their brands, and themselves, more attractive clients. For any agency, a brave and creativity-driven client with whom you can win awards is definitely worth having.
It raises your profile in the industry, as the wins can translate into news, interviews, articles and more engagements with trade bodies and awards festivals. It also starts a virtuous circle for your personal brand, elevating your profile internally and leading to more responsibilities.
There is also a bigger play. With a few cases, particularly the World’s Tallest Donation Box and the Double Moon, we have scored heavily in key festivals and helped propel the UAE higher into the country rankings. Together with others, we’ve achieved the sixth spot in this year’s One Show, building the country’s reputation as a creative hub. We can and need to go further by adding more campaigns to our pool of entries in the top festivals.
Industry awards are an important benchmark for individual brands and advertising professionals as an independent validation of performance. With thousands of entries from around the world as a competitive field, even making the shortlist is a huge pat on the back, let alone a trophy. Like most things, practice makes perfect so start now, identifying your best work and the most appropriate competitions.
