Winning ways An awards action plan is vital argues Steven Blackman

摘要

Most industries have a busy annual calendar of awards that recognise and reward excellence and effectiveness. For the winning companies, these initiatives are excellent for morale and they are also unquestionably good for illustrating the quality of work to clients, potential clients, peers and competitors. But often the balance between urgent and important, especially in smaller practices, means that award deadlines are missed, or that entries are handled on an ad-hoc basis. This is a wasted opportunity, all it takes is a little careful planning and competitions and awards can become effective marketing tools for your practice. But before you write your cheque and start spraymounting boards, it's worth thinking about your motivation for entering each award. It's easy to get into the routine of entering the same initiatives each year, but what was essential last year might not be relevant now. If you decide it is relevant, identify what it is that makes it important to your practice or your work.