Win it with words: Six Rules for Writing Winning Award Entries

A new year and a new round of design and marketing awards beckons. Have you earmarked that special project you think should bag an award? And could this actually be the year you sweep onto the stage, sporting your best bib and tucker, and finally get your mitts on that shiny trophy? (All in front of a packed audience of peers - and potential clients - to boot?)

Before you go haring off to the dry cleaners clutching that little black dress (never too soon to plan an outfit, in my book), there’s the slight issue of submitting a winning award entry. And that means finding the headspace to sit down and write the damn thing. No mean feat these days, as judging criteria gets tougher, and awards schemes proliferate and get more competitive.

I've been writing winning award entries for many years; helping clients get industry recognition for their creativity, marketing acumen and sheer hard work. So based on this, here are my top six rules for making sure your entry wins over the most discerning of judging panels.

1. Start Early (actually, start NOW)

As a freelancer, I’ve lost track of the times I’ve sat at my laptop, frantically editing copy against a fast approaching deadline or anxiously refreshing my inbox for eleventh-hour client approval.

Entering work into competitions is more time-consuming than you think. Written entries need to answer specific questions often within tight word counts (writing fewer words often takes much longer than writing lots, by the way). Images need to be prepared, videos edited, even physical product samples packaged up and sent off. Projects often have several stakeholders, all wanting to have their say on why the project should win. And all this needs to be squeezed into an already tight work schedule.

That’s why some upfront planning is important. Take some time early on to work out which projects have the best chance of winning and research which award schemes are most suitable. Create an awards calendar, if it helps, and start entries a good few weeks before the deadline.

This way you can hit the upload button feeling confident you’ve done your project justice, rather crossing your fingers and hoping nobody notices your cobbled-together efforts.

2. Be a Detail Freak

A quick glance at the entry criteria of most awards can send the most organised and diligent person into a flat spin. Each scheme has its own set of guidelines and rules. Getting your head around what it is you actually have to do can often mean ploughing through reams of instructions, before we can even think about putting pen to paper (so to speak).

From eligibility dates to early-bird deadlines, word counts to category rules, and fee structures to entry formats, it’s all detail that someone needs to engage with. If the merest thought of this breaks you into a sweat, or you know you just won’t have the time to process it all, find an eagle-eyed person who is and has, and put them in charge of logistics.

There’s often a tendency for award schemes to be more complicated to enter than they need to be (try navigating the Red Dot entry process if you don’t believe me). It’s one of the reasons they eat so much of our precious time. Another compelling reason to start prepping your entry well ahead to avoid any last minute hitches.

3. Big-up your client

Winning an award is not just about you (sorry, folks). Just as the project itself was a team effort, so the award entry should be too.

Get your client involved in the process as early as possible. Their buy-in is usually vital - especially for schemes like the DBA’s Design Effectiveness Awards - and their input can make or break an entry. Giving them a draft of the entry to review the day before the already-extended deadline is not going to be that helpful.

I’ve seen submissions pulled at the last minute, or huge chunks of data redacted, because of confidentiality issues - with no time to redraft. Much better to get your client team excited about the PR opportunity that winning an award represents. The result will be a stronger entry and, hopefully, the joy of shared glory.

4. Make it well-researched

The awards that are really worth winning are those that are so much more than just a beauty parade. These are the ones that prove to potential clients that what you create or do has real business impact. Many competitions - and perhaps the ones to look out for - now require some form of solid proof that your project met its objectives. Check out Transform Awards, Marketing Excellence Awards or Design Effectiveness Awards (mentioned above) for schemes that reward effectiveness not just good looks.

Producing award entries like these often involves carrying out background research, analysing primary qualitative and quantitative data, and creating clear, concise copy that presents this evidence in the most compelling way. Context is everything here. Presenting even a small increase in sales, for example, will have way more impact if shown against a flat market.

Spend some time gathering information for your entry. Speak to clients, internal teams and end users if appropriate to see what’s available. Ideally, you and your client will have already talked about key performance indicators for the project way back at the briefing stage and the data you need for the entry will be readily available.

5. Make the Story Sing

Imagine you’re a on an awards jury panel, and you’re faced with the task of reading through a stack of submissions. What would make your job easier? One that’s engaging and to the point, or a copy-and-paste job that doesn’t really answer the questions?

Any award entry needs to both grab the judges’ attention and be a pleasure to read. To do this, don’t just regurgitate website or other existing copy. It rarely fits the bill. Instead, write with purpose. Address the success criteria of the scheme you are entering and aim to prove that your project meets them..

To make your writing engaging, try and think of your project as a story - with a beginning, middle and end. Jurors love a story as much as the next person. Now think about how you would sum this story up for someone - how would you tell them about it in 50 words. Where was the magic? What were the challenges? Use this in your overview or summary. The result will be an entry that stands out for the right reasons.

And a last plea - don’t be too dry and formal. Think about how you would say what you want to write. Say it out loud and then write it down to help make your style more natural and easy to read.

6. Shout if you need help!

Finding the words that sell a project in the right way can be tricky. Sometimes, the best use of resources is to get an expert in to do the preparation for you. For example, if you know someone in your organisation that enjoys writing and has the capability, get them to draft the entry for you.

Failing that, there are plenty of copywriters out there who will be more than happy to help. I’ve written lots of award entries in my time, for many different schemes (you can read an example here). If you need help, drop me a line here.

Good luck!

Photographs courtesy of Oleg at Event Photographer London