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12 tips for winning award entries

Date: Dec 12 2012
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In the spirit of Christmas I want to share with you some tips on putting together an award-winning entry for the CIPR Inside awards. So I’ve compiled a ‘festive 12’ tips for winners (not days of Christmas, as we’d run out of time). There’s some questions you should ask yourself to keep your entry on track and focused – Good luck

  1. Why did you need to do this activity? What was the problem or situation you needed to change? Why, should be the first question we ask ourselves when anyone asks us to do something or SOS (send out stuff).
  2. What did you set out to achieve? Did you do it? Did you deliver the objectives? Or more simply, what changed or what do people do differently as a result of your campaign? Be honest too. What worked well, and what didn’t? Just because you tried something and had to change your approach because it didn’t work, it doesn’t mean you’re not a winner. Being honest and open to your on-going feedback is what can make a good campaign really great.
  3. How did you do it? What did you actually do to make the change? Which tactics did you use? Was it newsletters, internal social media, face-to-face forums etc…?
  4. Who did you need to get on board to make the project work? Who was the target audience? And who rose to the challenge to help you deliver? There are always different people needed to make something happen. Was it a group of employees, the board, or management… And of course you need the internal comms team to make it happen even if it’s just you? Internal networking is just as important as external networking. We all need people to help us achieve our objectives.
  5. When did you do it? What was the timeline from start to finish? For example was it weekly briefings over two months, or
    What are you proud of in 2012?

    monthly newsletters you used to get the message across? We’re looking for projects undertaken in 2012, but they may not have taken the whole year.

  6. Where did you do it? Was it in one office, across a group of stores, or did you need to go global?
  7. How much did it cost? So often we don’t really have much of a budget for internal campaigns, but if you can disclose it – please share it. It helps us to understand the boundaries of your project.
  8. Be clear and keep to the brief. You’ve only got 1,000 words – it seems a lot but it’s a little over a couple of pages of A4, not a lot. Keep it brief and keep your language simple so your message sings from the page.
  9. We really shouldn’t have to mention this one, but when we’re on a deadline it’s so easy to miss a typo, dodgy grammar and corporate jargon that has crept in. Get someone with a fresh pair of eyes to proof your entry before you send it.
  10. Have you submitted your entry by the deadline? It’s 4pm on 24th December – any later and we’ll be eating mince pies and kicking back relaxing, getting ready for Christmas.
  11. Have you paid for your entry? It’s only £75per submission and can be paid by card on line. If you can’t pay by card drop us an email and we’ll send you an invoice. ciprinside@gmail.com
  12. Have you booked your tickets for the party? At the Hospital Club 28th February 2013? You need to be there to accept your award, and it will be a great opportunity to meet some new people and celebrate with your existing network.

We hope you find this list helpful. If you have a tip on winning awards, please do share it.

Good luck

Word count: 632 (That many already and I’m sure I could write more too, but the hardest part is making it fit the word limit and getting your message across…)