What business awards are good?

[MPaini]

Sometimes you see companies shout about theirs, but which awards impress consumers? We are a heating services company based in the South East of England.

 

[japancool]

Anything you pay for - bad.
Anything that pays you - good.

 

[Ozzy]

Anything you pay for - bad.
Anything that pays you - good.

I'd agree with this but expand on it a bit by considering some well recognised ones. For example the Queens Award for Excellence is internationally recognised, as are the National Business Awards.
If you do look at entering awards then I'd suggest you have a clear strategy about why, and back it up in your overall company marketing strategy. Reason is, they're only worth entering if you at least are a runner up and again only if you shout about it. Otherwise it's a waste of time, and just a certificate on the wall.

Personally my company won loads of awards around 2005-2008 and did well out of it, but these days we tend to sponsor awards now rather than enter. We found that provides us with guaranteed exposure and publicity, where entering awards has a much lower opportunity (ie. only if you win or in some cases are runner up). So I would say consider sponsoring if the awards are closely aligned to your target market you want to get in front of, because as a sponsor a good awards organiser wants to ensure you the sponsor get value for money.

The company I've used in the past to write our entrees publishes a really good comprehensive list of awards on their website here.

 

[japancool]

Agreed. More specifically on the first point - there are many scammy so-called "awards" out there where they invite you to pay for the privilege of entering them. Give these a wide berth.

 

[MPaini]

I'd agree with this but expand on it a bit by considering some well recognised ones. For example the Queens Award for Excellence is internationally recognised, as are the National Business Awards.
If you do look at entering awards then I'd suggest you have a clear strategy about why, and back it up in your overall company marketing strategy. Reason is, they're only worth entering if you at least are a runner up and again only if you shout about it. Otherwise it's a waste of time, and just a certificate on the wall.

Personally my company won loads of awards around 2005-2008 and did well out of it, but these days we tend to sponsor awards now rather than enter. We found that provides us with guaranteed exposure and publicity, where entering awards has a much lower opportunity (ie. only if you win or in some cases are runner up). So I would say consider sponsoring if the awards are closely aligned to your target market you want to get in front of, because as a sponsor a good awards organiser wants to ensure you the sponsor get value for money.

The company I've used in the past to write our entrees publishes a really good comprehensive list of awards on their website here.

That list of awards is fantastically helpful, thank you

 

[MPaini]

I should add that the reason for this post was becasue I've been receiving emails about entering Southern Enterprise Awards. I have never heard of them, and I realised I had no idea what a good award is! Can't say I'm tempted to invest my efforts if I'm honest.

 

[Mark T Jones]

If you have to sponsor a table or pay for advertising its worthless

If you are genuinely nominated, without knowing, it's probably good

 

[WaveJumper]

Bad the ones who inform you that you have been put forward or won an award ........ followed by the invoice for a table at the up and coming reception. They not so keen when you ask them to post it on to you.

 

[Mark T Jones]

But seriously, as

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Heating engineers customer reviews and recommendations should add far more value

 

[japancool]

I should add that the reason for this post was becasue I've been receiving emails about entering Southern Enterprise Awards. I have never heard of them, and I realised I had no idea what a good award is! Can't say I'm tempted to invest my efforts if I'm honest.

That sounds very, very much like category 1.

 

[SillyBill]

Never won anything as never entered anything. I think my competitors have won awards in the past though, a lot of whom aren't in business anymore. I'm too busy running the business to make time for such distractions, always focused on internal improvement and the award is usually a healthy dividend at the end of the year too.

 

[MBE2017]

Just my opinion, never entered for any awards so maybe that might colour my viewpoint, but the only award worth having IMO is your client £ hitting your bank account with a great review.

 

[Blackford Biz]

Sometimes you see companies shout about theirs, but which awards impress consumers? We are a heating services company based in the South East of England.

I used to write cases and papers for business awards for our small (40 people, £11m) business. Our industry awards were for effectiveness/ROI/creativity so held some kudos. I had Lord Heseltine & Piers Morgan present me with two awards in 2006 which got us terrific press coverage. Getting press coverage and awards invites you to write to the market and is a new business tool. We also entered Scottish Enterprise, Chambers of Commerce and Marketing Society UK awards.
If your business has achieved something special in service, ROI or internally, there's a story to be told.

 

[fisicx]

Not so sure being associated with Piers Moron is something I’d want anyone to know about.

 

[Blackford Biz]

Not so sure being associated with Piers Moron is something I’d want anyone to know about.

He's just as much of a w@nker in real life as he is on screen !

 

[Picture Bute]

I went in to get a key cut in my local shop that does that kind of stuff. he must be one of the best key cutters in the world give the number of trophies he had on his shelves.

 

[Nathanto]

never entered anything. ... I'm too busy running the business to make time for such distractions,

Just my opinion, never entered for any awards so maybe that might colour my viewpoint

I used to have the same opinion but after being persuaded to participate, and after a few years of us winning our particular industry awards sector, the biggest player in our market (a FTSE 100 company) made me an offer I couldn't refuse to buy out my little company.

During discussions they admitted that them being runner up to us had brought us to their attention and that one of their philosophies was "if you can't beat them then buy them".

Food for thought for anyone who can see a benefit in improving their standing within their industry, particularly if you've started thinking about an exit strategy...