As PR pros, we're often asked how to build a brand's reputation. While there are many avenues to take, awards are an often-overlooked opportunity to enhance a company's reputation. In turn, a strong brand reputation increases existing customer loyalty and attracts new customers.
Awards aren't just accolades; they validate your team's skills and abilities and showcase a positive company culture. They also show that you have industry leaders working at your company. All of these attributes enhance your brand reputation.
For example, we recently worked with Benjamin Powers, Director of Corporate and Middle Market Banking at Valley Bank, to help him earn a spot on the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list for 2024. This recognition not only celebrates Ben’s individual achievements but also highlights Valley Bank’s strong position in the Tampa Bay financial sector.
How to use awards to build brand reputation
A well-executed awards strategy requires careful planning and thoughtful execution. We put together a comprehensive step-by-step guide on finding, submitting and winning awards that enhance your brand reputation.
By following these steps, you can integrate awards into your overall brand reputation strategy, helping to create a strong brand identity, increase visibility and take a leadership position in your industry.
Step 1: Align with the Brand Reputation Strategy
The first step in the awards process is to align awards with the overarching brand reputation strategy. It's essential to select awards that resonate with your company’s mission, vision and values. Not every award will be the right fit, so selecting those that showcase your company’s strengths and brand values is crucial.
A comprehensive SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis can identify areas where your brand reputation shines and research awards opportunities that match your company's unique qualities. For example, if your company excels in innovation, you should target awards that celebrate forward-thinking businesses.
This SWOT analysis will not only streamline the award selection process but also increase the chances of securing recognition that enhances your brand reputation and market position.
Once you've aligned the awards strategy with your brand reputation goals, the next step is to consider your target audience. Understanding who you are trying to reach—whether it’s customers, partners or industry influencers—will help you identify the most impactful awards that resonate with the people who matter most to your business.
Then start researching awards opportunities that match your core values and reach your target audience.
Step 2: Develop the Timeline
After selecting the awards that enhance your brand reputation, create a detailed timeline to guide the submission process. This phase involves planning every aspect, from gathering information to crafting the final submission. A clear timeline helps ensure that all parts of the process are completed well before the deadlines, preventing last-minute scrambles.
Begin by gathering the relevant information, which may include performance metrics, testimonials, leadership contributions and other supporting documents that will strengthen your submission. For a high-profile award like the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, highlighting both professional achievements and community impact is essential to crafting a compelling submission.
Once the data is collected, it’s important to allocate the right resources to ensure that the submission process runs smoothly. Assign responsibilities for writing, reviewing and submitting the application to key members of your team and assign deadlines.
With proper planning, you can manage the entire process efficiently while maximizing the chances of success.
Step 3: Craft a Compelling Story
A successful award submission goes beyond just listing accomplishments—it tells a compelling story that captivates judges. The narrative should focus on your nominee’s journey, highlighting not just their achievements but also the challenges they’ve overcome and the impact they've had. This storytelling approach humanizes the nominee and makes their contributions more relatable and memorable.
Start the submission by crafting a strong introduction that sets the tone and captures the reader’s attention. Then, go into detail about the nominee’s professional journey, focusing on key achievements that align with the award criteria.
By weaving in personal stories and professional milestones, you create a well-rounded narrative that demonstrates both individual and organizational growth.
After drafting the submission, it’s important to review and revise, ensuring that it aligns with the award’s criteria and tells a cohesive, compelling story. Gathering feedback from key stakeholders can help refine the content, ensuring that the submission is polished and impactful.
Step 4: Leverage the Win
Winning an award is just the beginning. Once the recognition is secured, leveraging the win is critical for maximizing visibility and enhancing the brand reputation.
To fully maximize the award, consider how you can incorporate it in your existing communications and marketing campaigns.
Media
Some awards, like industry or national awards, are a perfect fit for media attention, as long as you share the 'why' behind the award. Create a news release to announce the achievement and share it with relevant media outlets. Media exposure can significantly enhance brand reputation.
Social Media
Announce the news about the award or recognition on your company's social media platforms. Create posts across social media to engage your audience and celebrate the achievement, which strengthen the brand reputation.
Then, consider sharing details about the honoree or company backstory on social media. These social media posts can strengthen your brand’s connection with followers and loyal customers. Over time, they can become brand advocates on social media.
Internal Communication
Share news about the award on internal communications channels, like Slack, Teams, internal newsletters or company town halls. By highlighting the awards, employees feel proud of the honor and have ownership of the positive brand reputation. It also reinforces your brand values.
A company-wide announcement or celebration, such as the Inc. Best Places to Work awards, can reinforce a positive company culture, showing appreciation for the team’s contributions.
Customer Communications
Highlight the award with loyal customers to reinforce that they've made a great decision in working with your company. Share the news through customer newsletters or personalized communications can strengthen customer loyalty and reaffirm your company’s positive reputation.
Sales Funnel
Share the news of your company's award with potential customers who should see your brand values and understand your company's brand reputation. Highlight the news in emails to potential customers or during webinars and sales calls to highlight your brand reputation.
Who Should be Nominated?
Learn who should be considered for awards that boost your brand reputation by reading our recent blog posts:
Get expert advice on your brand reputation
For tailored PR advice, reach out to our team of communications experts to support your brand reputation and guide you through the awards process.