Awards Program
What is This Section About?
This section of Trainer University covers the basics of our Awards Program we offer to our clients and Trainer Communications. This section addresses the overall process of submitting an award, from researching the appropriate awards to follow up with the organization.
Why is This Section Important?
Awards are a great way for companies to gain recognition and credibility. Awards can apply to certain campaigns, case studies, and/or products. The most common benefit for our clients in winning an award is it helps establish corporate credibility, which allows our clients to achieve their goals more quickly.
For Trainer, having award recognition positions Trainer as THE PR agency to work for and helps us attract more clients.
Introduction
Awards are important to many of our clients, as they differentiate the company and establish a level of credibility that is associated with being favorably evaluated by industry peers. Sometimes prospects decide to go with the “award winning” solution – rather than the solution offered by a competitor. Awards also attract the attention of partners, prospective employees, and even venture capitalists. No doubt, a string of awards is impressive.
Awards Program Overview
Trainer researches awards that pertain to a client’s products or services, executives and philanthropy initiatives.
To begin the awards process, start with research. Trainer has an internal online database (IT Database) that stores all the top awards programs . Start the research by identifying key words associated with your clients. For example, ASSIA, Inc. is a telecommunications company specializing in DSL broadband --- would likely leverage keywords such as telecommunications, DSL, broadband and DSL broadband. By searching on this criteria, the database will display the awards that include these key words, and thus be most likely appropriate for ASSIA. Once you have collected potential awards, transfer them to the awards calendar kept for the client in TrainerConnect.
Always supplement your research with a Google search. Simply search each keyword via Google to find new awards that may not be included in the Trainer database. In addition to the Google search, you can search by publication. The majority of publications have an awards program. Start by searching the top publications that pertain to your client, which will yield a higher ratio of finding an award that fits your client’s needs. Finally, look at your client’s top competitors websites and news releases. Check to see what awards they may have won and include those in your calendar.
The awards calendar is actually an excel spreadsheet that is stored on Trainer Connect. This spreadsheet needs to include the following columns: organization name, award category, submission deadline, submission fee, link to award organization and notes. The awards are organized by submission deadline.
Once the list of awards is complete, you will begin finding more information. You will research and relay the following important information to your client: submission deadline date, submission fee, does the client need to attend the conference in order to receive the award, a list of appropriate award categories, and word/character limit. You will add this information to the awards calendar. Remember to ask for the client’s credit card information to pay for the award submission (as most awards require such). Keep this information on file in a private location for future awards.
It’s important to secure client approval before submitting (and especially paying for) an award. In order to do this, you will draft an email to send to the client to include all of the essential information, including the name of award to the submission fee.
Once the client approves the award submission, the drafting process begins.
Submitting Awards
Always start with the award submission online and export to a word document. At the top left corner of the page, include the award name, submission deadline and link to the website.
The majority of award submissions have a word or character limit. Always abide by these rules and make sure the client and your team are aware of the limits in the draft.
Once the award submission draft is complete, the internal Trainer team will need to review. Once the draft is finalized internally, you will send to the client for review. After securing edits and approval from the client, you submit for the award.
Following-up on Awards Submissions
Once the award is submitted, follow-up with the organization’s coordinator. Ask for a time frame of the nomination’s announcement and the next steps.
If the client doesn’t win, go over ways to improve the submission for the following year. Discuss possible ways to make the submission better for next time.
Depending on the client and the award, Trainer will issue a press release on the award win. This will support your client’s visibility to help achieve the ultimate goal, generate more revenue. Your client will be able to publicize the win on their website by including the award logo and the award win. Some award organizations may charge for this; if so, find out the price and relay the information to the client.
Awards on behalf of Trainer Communications
Awards Program Overview
Trainer Communications is known for winning countless awards each year; from case studies to best PR agencies, Trainer wins them. Trainer submits several awards each year, in hopes of winning a few including: PRSA Anvil Awards, Marcom Awards, Bulldog Awards and Sabre Awards. The process starts with researching awards that pertain to the public relations and marketing industry.
Deciding which awards are appropriate for Trainer will take time. A good trick is to look at past winners and previous winning entries from other public relations agencies. You will track all the research on an awards calendar. The columns include are: award organization, category, submission deadline, submission fee, link to website and notes. This will be organized by submission date to better track each award. You will monitor this calendar twice a week and let Trainer know which awards are coming up.
When sending an email to the team on an upcoming award you will include: award name and category, link to website, submission deadline and fee, and the criteria to submit. These criteria will include any case studies, photos, word or character count, and submission questions.
Once your team leads have approved the award, the submission process begins.
Submitting Awards
Each award has a different process of submitting. Some will require more than answering questions. Some require other press materials such as coverage clippings, visual art, audio, etc. Always translate the online submission to a word document to better assist with the editing process internally.
You will structure the award submission by including the award organization, submission date and category, and the link to the site at the top left corner of the page. From there you will include the list of questions, and the word and/or character limits.
Once the submission is completed, it will be sent around the team for review. The review process will take a week, so plan time accordingly.
Once the submission is approved, you will send to the organization the submission and payment.
Following-up on Award Submissions
You will follow-up with the organization to learn when winners will be announced and how.
If Trainer was not selected as a winner, the team will determine what needs to be developed for Trainer to win the following year.
Trainer will announce an award win through a press release and social media. In addition to the press release, Trainer will update the win on the boiler plate, if needed, and on the website.
This section of Trainer University covers the basics of our Awards Program we offer to our clients and Trainer Communications. This section addresses the overall process of submitting an award, from researching the appropriate awards to follow up with the organization.
Why is This Section Important?
Awards are a great way for companies to gain recognition and credibility. Awards can apply to certain campaigns, case studies, and/or products. The most common benefit for our clients in winning an award is it helps establish corporate credibility, which allows our clients to achieve their goals more quickly.
For Trainer, having award recognition positions Trainer as THE PR agency to work for and helps us attract more clients.
Introduction
Awards are important to many of our clients, as they differentiate the company and establish a level of credibility that is associated with being favorably evaluated by industry peers. Sometimes prospects decide to go with the “award winning” solution – rather than the solution offered by a competitor. Awards also attract the attention of partners, prospective employees, and even venture capitalists. No doubt, a string of awards is impressive.
Awards Program Overview
Trainer researches awards that pertain to a client’s products or services, executives and philanthropy initiatives.
To begin the awards process, start with research. Trainer has an internal online database (IT Database) that stores all the top awards programs . Start the research by identifying key words associated with your clients. For example, ASSIA, Inc. is a telecommunications company specializing in DSL broadband --- would likely leverage keywords such as telecommunications, DSL, broadband and DSL broadband. By searching on this criteria, the database will display the awards that include these key words, and thus be most likely appropriate for ASSIA. Once you have collected potential awards, transfer them to the awards calendar kept for the client in TrainerConnect.
Always supplement your research with a Google search. Simply search each keyword via Google to find new awards that may not be included in the Trainer database. In addition to the Google search, you can search by publication. The majority of publications have an awards program. Start by searching the top publications that pertain to your client, which will yield a higher ratio of finding an award that fits your client’s needs. Finally, look at your client’s top competitors websites and news releases. Check to see what awards they may have won and include those in your calendar.
The awards calendar is actually an excel spreadsheet that is stored on Trainer Connect. This spreadsheet needs to include the following columns: organization name, award category, submission deadline, submission fee, link to award organization and notes. The awards are organized by submission deadline.
Once the list of awards is complete, you will begin finding more information. You will research and relay the following important information to your client: submission deadline date, submission fee, does the client need to attend the conference in order to receive the award, a list of appropriate award categories, and word/character limit. You will add this information to the awards calendar. Remember to ask for the client’s credit card information to pay for the award submission (as most awards require such). Keep this information on file in a private location for future awards.
It’s important to secure client approval before submitting (and especially paying for) an award. In order to do this, you will draft an email to send to the client to include all of the essential information, including the name of award to the submission fee.
Once the client approves the award submission, the drafting process begins.
Submitting Awards
Always start with the award submission online and export to a word document. At the top left corner of the page, include the award name, submission deadline and link to the website.
The majority of award submissions have a word or character limit. Always abide by these rules and make sure the client and your team are aware of the limits in the draft.
Once the award submission draft is complete, the internal Trainer team will need to review. Once the draft is finalized internally, you will send to the client for review. After securing edits and approval from the client, you submit for the award.
Following-up on Awards Submissions
Once the award is submitted, follow-up with the organization’s coordinator. Ask for a time frame of the nomination’s announcement and the next steps.
If the client doesn’t win, go over ways to improve the submission for the following year. Discuss possible ways to make the submission better for next time.
Depending on the client and the award, Trainer will issue a press release on the award win. This will support your client’s visibility to help achieve the ultimate goal, generate more revenue. Your client will be able to publicize the win on their website by including the award logo and the award win. Some award organizations may charge for this; if so, find out the price and relay the information to the client.
Awards on behalf of Trainer Communications
Awards Program Overview
Trainer Communications is known for winning countless awards each year; from case studies to best PR agencies, Trainer wins them. Trainer submits several awards each year, in hopes of winning a few including: PRSA Anvil Awards, Marcom Awards, Bulldog Awards and Sabre Awards. The process starts with researching awards that pertain to the public relations and marketing industry.
Deciding which awards are appropriate for Trainer will take time. A good trick is to look at past winners and previous winning entries from other public relations agencies. You will track all the research on an awards calendar. The columns include are: award organization, category, submission deadline, submission fee, link to website and notes. This will be organized by submission date to better track each award. You will monitor this calendar twice a week and let Trainer know which awards are coming up.
When sending an email to the team on an upcoming award you will include: award name and category, link to website, submission deadline and fee, and the criteria to submit. These criteria will include any case studies, photos, word or character count, and submission questions.
Once your team leads have approved the award, the submission process begins.
Submitting Awards
Each award has a different process of submitting. Some will require more than answering questions. Some require other press materials such as coverage clippings, visual art, audio, etc. Always translate the online submission to a word document to better assist with the editing process internally.
You will structure the award submission by including the award organization, submission date and category, and the link to the site at the top left corner of the page. From there you will include the list of questions, and the word and/or character limits.
Once the submission is completed, it will be sent around the team for review. The review process will take a week, so plan time accordingly.
Once the submission is approved, you will send to the organization the submission and payment.
Following-up on Award Submissions
You will follow-up with the organization to learn when winners will be announced and how.
If Trainer was not selected as a winner, the team will determine what needs to be developed for Trainer to win the following year.
Trainer will announce an award win through a press release and social media. In addition to the press release, Trainer will update the win on the boiler plate, if needed, and on the website.