Awards That Matter: Why a Strategic Approach Delivers Better Results

By: Matt Bird

Awards can be a powerful way to build credibility, increase visibility, and support business growth. Most organizations recognize this and view them as an important part of their broader marketing and communication strategy. However, getting the most out of awards requires being intentional about how they are used. They can be valuable in many different ways, but they work best when submissions are shaped around clear business priorities and a defined strategic objective. For some organizations, this may be enhancing reputation and increasing market awareness, or reinforcing leadership in a specific sector. For others, it may be supporting recruitment. The right awards strategy starts with understanding what success looks like and selecting opportunities accordingly.

At Paragon, we believe awards work best when participation is aligned with clear business objectives, turning recognition into a meaningful driver of growth.

The most valuable awards programs help organizations achieve three key goals. First, they provide third-party validation that reinforces market credibility and differentiates a business from its competitors. Second, they create opportunities for media engagement and relationship-building with influential journalists and industry stakeholders. Just going through the process of drafting an award submission requires businesses to think deeper into the issue they are solving which can help with developing stronger pitches or media initiatives alongside an awards program. Third, they boost employee morale and support recruitment efforts by showcasing a company’s achievements and market leadership to prospective employees.

However, it’s vital that businesses assess which awards deliver the best value for them. As the awards landscape has grown, entering every award that may have some relevance can take up a lot of resources, so careful evaluation is needed to make sure each one best fits a business’s needs. An important step is to look at the categories in detail and understand what the organizers are specifically looking for in the submission. The category should match the products, services, and sector, and businesses should avoid entering just on the basis that the award is prestigious. Industry or regional-specific categories will assess what improvements to products or services have been made in those specific regions, so these submissions should be tailored appropriately. 

It’s also important to look at how broad the focus is of the awards program. For example, general start-up or technology awards attract B2C and consumer brands, and in a broader field competition is tougher and sector relevance is diluted. This may mean firms need to look at their story through a different lens and iterate on how their work can resonate with a wider audience.

Additionally, research and reviewing previous winners can provide valuable insight into category competitiveness, industry trends, and potential opportunities to differentiate. Understanding who has historically dominated a category can help organizations make more informed decisions about where to compete and where they are most likely to succeed.

Most awards tend to require some sort of submission based entry, showcasing innovations and achievements over the past year. And successful submissions are built on substance, with clear and impactful language. 

The strongest entries articulate a market challenge and why there is a need for the new innovation or product in question, explain how the organization addressed it, and demonstrate measurable outcomes through concrete data and evidence. Wherever possible, customer testimonials and independent validation can further strengthen a submission.

At Paragon, we believe awards are most effective when they are approached with the same level of strategic thinking as any other communications initiative. By focusing on the right opportunities, developing evidence-based submissions, and aligning participation with broader business objectives, organizations can maximize both their chances of success and the long-term value of recognition.