Why entering awards will have prospective clients banging at your agency’s doors
Winning an award. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. Joyous, fulfilled and the satisfaction that your work is top class
There are plenty of reasons why you should enter awards, especially The Drum Awards, but one of the most important is how it impacts your business.
The Drum spoke to Eurotunnel’s sales and marketing director, Jae Hopkins; Missguided’s digital marketing director, Nick Bamber; vice-president of demand, EMEA at Adsquare, Vincent Tessier and chief marketing officer at IAB UK, James Chandler, on why they enter awards and how it has impacted their businesses.
According to Tessier, winning awards has been great for the relationship between adsquare and its clients, as well as a way for them to show the industry what they have done.
In 2017, Adsquare and S4M won an award for a ’Most Effective Programmatic Buying Mobile Campaign’ at the former Drum Mobile Awards, for its work with Subway. 10 months following the awards, prospective clients where banging on Adsquare’s doors for similar work. Vincent Tessier explains: “There was a tremendous, long period where we had clients reaching out, to replicate what we did with Subway. My personal experience with awards is great, I’m always pushing my colleagues as far as we can go. From my experience with Adsquare, awards really boosts your business.”
For brands, it’s a whole other kettle of fish in winning awards compared to an agency. Yes, you might get new business of the back of a win, however, Hopkins gained a keen new employee who had applied for the role because they’d seen that brand she was working for was doing exciting things at an awards event. She says: “Positivity breeds positivity, and I don’t feel the need to see a direct correlation between winning an award and business impact, to know that success is good for everyone involved.”
IAB UK enter awards because of the recognition and endorsement you get from a really good idea. ”When you have a sense that something’s gone brilliantly or you’re particularly proud of something, it’s human nature to want to be recognised by your peers and the industry for it,” explains Chandler.
Some of his best work nights have been sat around tables at awards in black tie, waiting for the entry to be read out and the anticipation of winning. ”By this point you’ve invested lots into getting that entry where it is – so the feeling of winning something is amazing.”
A few years back, Chandler won Global Mobile Agency of the Year with Mindshare at the Mobile Marketing Awards. Almost overnight clients were calling IAB UK up and wanting to talk to them as the experts in mobile. ”Nothing had changed from a resource or product point of view, but the award had a really positive impact on how we were perceived,” he says.
In the end, award wins allow you and your teams to step back and reflect on the great work you have done, says Bamber. He adds: “If you get shortlisted or win, then it’s the gratification and recognition for doing great work that’s been acknowledged independently.
“Shortlisting and winning awards give a strong feeling of pride for you and your team, and a nice way to label your team as ’award winning’.”
The Drum Awards recognise the excellent work that the advertising, marketing and media secors are producing, awarding those agencies, brands and people who are at the top of their game. Check out our awards dedicated section for more information on how to enter.