Nothing you say about yourself carries as much weight as what others say. That’s why when it comes to building credibility and boosting brand awareness, developing an awards program can provide the social proof you need to supercharge your PR initiatives.
Your clients, prospects and future employees rely on these recognitions in deciding whether to work with you. After all, it’s one thing to say how great your company and employees are, and quite another to have quantitative proof of it. Having worked on countless award submissions over the years, I’ve seen first-hand how third-party endorsements set RH clients apart from their competition, increase credibility and give team members something to rally around.
Here are a few benefits our clients experience:
Stand out from the competition
Getting nominated and winning well-known, credible awards provides independent, third-party evidence that your team and your company are leading an industry. Venerated programs like the Inc. 5000 or Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, for example, celebrate consistent, year-over-year growth in relation to the overall business economy. Qualifying for these lists tells clients you’re a partner who’s in-demand, managing its future and backed by strong leadership.
Increase credibility
Award submissions go through an intense vetting process, often taking months for winners to be announced. Just being named a finalist is an accomplishment to celebrate, let alone winning. Think of it like your industry’s stamp of approval—receiving a company award celebrating excellence in leadership or a product award highlighting innovation and technical specs builds your credibility. It also validates your business and its solutions to both the marketplace and new customers.
Support talent recruitment
For the ultimate morale boost, awards that speak to your team’s efforts, your company’s benefits, and your workplace philosophy—think Glassdoor’s 50 Best Places to Work or American City Business Journals’ regional-focused Best Workplaces awards—can help attract and retain top talent. And, by recruiting the best people for your team, you’re creating a long-term advantage over your competition. Win-win.
What’s the ROI on awards?
Awards have extended business and PR value, with publications often offering feature stories or speaking spots to honorees. This can give you promotional material to market throughout the year, whether your audience is new clients or new hires. In addition, many programs tap top-tier journalists for the judging panel, providing your company with visibility benefits even if you fall short of taking home first place.
Most awards nominations don’t happen organically. There is a time, and occasionally financial, investment that accompanies them. They’re the result of strategic positioning and thoughtful storytelling to build credibility and gain recognition for leading an industry.
Learn more about boosting your recruitment programs with awards that recognize your company and workplace.
If you’re interested in raising the profile of your company and your team, RH Strategic can help. We’ve executed thousands of award submissions for our clients, helping them gain recognition in programs such as EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work in Healthcare and SC Media’s Annual Awards.
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RH Strategic is a Seattle and D.C.-based PR agency with a nationwide presence and additional global reach via membership in the Worldcom Public Relations Group. We provide strategic public relations for innovators in the technology, government and healthcare markets.
