And the winner is

It’s awards season which is a great way to take stock and gain great publicity. Alison Gallagher-Hughes is on hand to share top tips for writing a brilliant award entry.

Alison Gallagher-Hughes Journalist and PR expert who owns Tillymint Communications, a marketing communications agency which specialises in a range of B2B and B2C industries, including the pet sector. Visit www.tillymint.co.uk or email info@tillymint.co.uk

The Oscars, the BAFTAs, the Grammys, or the Booker… most of us will have watched or been part of an awards ceremony. But it is not just the rich and famous that get to enjoy a moment in the spotlight, most industries, professions, and business communities stage annual events to highlight achievements, promote good practice, and recognise innovation.

Modesty may be part of the British condition and although it may not be in our nature to blow our own trumpet, there are many good reasons why we should consider entering one ourselves.

For a start, it’s good to take stock and acknowledge our progression and accomplishments. With the rapid pace of modern life, we are so focused on looking forward that it’s all too easy to forget how far we have come.

Awards are the perfect prompt that allow us to do this: take stock, assemble the evidence, and refl ect on our achievements. Recognition can be ideal for morale.

Also, it can be good for business too — win or lose, a shortlisted fi nalist should be able to enjoy the moment and the publicity that comes with it. An awards event, if there is one, also provides an opportunity for networking, will highlight your products and services, and elevate your brand.

Within the pet trade industry, the awards season is upon us, so to get you geared up to enter, here’s our top 10 tips on how to prepare the perfect entry.

1Consider the landscape Not all awards are of equal merit — some are more credible and offer greater kudos than others. Identify those that are industry leading or are connected to professional associations or media titles. Avoid vanity awards — the ones that are income generators for events management companies or small publishers. They are often identifi ed by unsolicited invitations to enter or have undefi ned categories/entry criteria. There may also be hidden costs by way of advertising or attendance, so choose wisely.

2Pause for thought Once you have found the awards that are right for you, read through the process and make note of key dates. Most awards begin with an online submission, so register to access the site, review the categories, and decide on which ones are most relevant. When you’ve decided, make a note of the questions/section headings and word counts, so that you can prepare you entry offl ine and copy and paste it into the site once you have had a chance to review and proof it. Consider the cost, in addition to the entry fee, as there may be a cost to attend the event along with travel and accommodation. Also check your diary to ensure that if you are shortlisted you are free to attend.

3Do your research The awards website may be a showcase to kickstart the process and may not have all the information that you require. Don’t be embarrassed to seek further clarifi cation: contact the organisers to fi nd out what the process involves following the written submission. Shortlisted candidates may be interviewed by a judging panel, asked to submit supporting documentation, undertake photoshoots, or prepare video submissions. If you are aware of the requirements, you can make time for them. Also, check out other parts of the website. Are there case studies or examples of the previous years’ entries? If so, read them and see if there is anything that makes them stand out.

4Be aware of deadlines Give yourself plenty of time to prepare your entry. It’s likely that you will need to gather information to support your entry and it’s best not to do that under pressure. Some awards may also have a tiered pricing structure in place for early birds, standard, and late entries. If you are looking to submit entries for more than one category, it can be most cost effective to submit them earlier rather than later.

5Read the question Focus on what the judges are actually asking — don’t just fi ll your entry with the contents of existing sales and marketing materials. Answer the question and qualify it, referring back to the section criteria and any advisory information.

6Content is King ■ Be thorough: demonstrate that your project was well planned, executed, and reviewed. ■ Be factual, outline your thinking but don’t hypothesise. ■ Write clearly and succinctly — avoid jargon or businessrelated vocabulary. If you are using acronyms, spell them out in the fi rst instance putting the abbreviation after, allowing you to apply the shortened version when referencing again. ■ Be consistent — don’t fl ip fl op between the fi rst and third person. The entry criteria may indicate a preferred style. ■ Where possible, use headers to break up the text — reading entries in bite-sized chunks is easier than great dirges of text. ■ Make them sit up and take notice — if you have something to shout about, say it with a killer statement that you can then go on to back it up. ■ Consider how the submission will be assessed — will judges be making a paper sift or assessing digitally? This will allow you to decide whether to signpost external sources, such as websites or social media channels. ■ Write the award summary last — this is often found in the initial section but it may be best to return to it when you can outline the salient points.

7Keep to the word count Some awards sites will not let you submit an entry if a section is over-written. If you are over, move on to the next section and review it with ‘a clean pair of eyes.’ This will help you return to it afresh, perhaps cut out some of the fl ab with a change to phrasing or cutting out unnecessary words.

8Crunch the numbers Quantify results by including statistics or budget information. Use them to demonstrate and evidence key points within your submission, particularly if your entry is linked to a small business or low-budget category. Remember, biggest isn’t always best, it’s what you achieve and how you get there, not just turnover and profi t margins. 9Check and check again Proof your entry before submitting. Sloppy spelling, grammar, and typos may give the judges the impression that you’ve not put enough effort into the entry process. Allow suffi cient time to forward the entry to someone else for proof reading where possible. 10Learn from the experience If you don’t win fi rst time around, learn from the process and try again. Use the process as an opportunity for assessing and benchmarking performance. This will help you identify improvements and developments that can be made across the business and increase your chances of winning awards in the future.

Awards to look out for

Pet Product Marketing Retailer Recommends

Our annual awards run to recognise excellence in the pet industry. Our readers get to vote for the best products, brands, and services in the trade.

Pet Industry Federation Awards

www.petcare.org.uk/index.php/pif-awards-2022 Entries close: 29 July 2022 Awards event: 17 November 2022

Pet Quip

www.petquip.com/uk/awards Entries close: 30 June 2022 Awards event: 25 September 2022

PATS New Product Showcase and Awards