Part of our built environment team, Neil has written four winning entries at the Construction Marketing Awards (CMAs).
It’s that time of year again when marketers in the construction industry and built environment begin frantically pulling together their entries for the CMAs. This event is a ‘time to shine’ moment for in-house and agency teams, giving them a chance to show off their achievements and take pride in the campaigns that have made a real difference.
At BDB we’re a big believer in the positivity and sense of achievement that awards success can bring – 2011 was our standout year and we collected five awards in the PR and marketing industry.
There’s no doubt that writing and collating award entries is a stressful business. But what if I told you it doesn’t always have to be this way? Having previously written award winning entries for the CMAs, here are my tips for giving yourself the best chance of success.
Preparation
Before launching into your award entry, it’s worthwhile looking through the list of previous winners to remind yourself of why they won. This will help you to focus on the categories where you feel you’ll have the best chance of winning – entering everything in the hope that one wins will more than likely dilute the overall quality of your entries and just add to the stress.
Take the time to study what it is the judges are looking for, and whether your submission is relevant for the category. The CMA website includes details about how to enter.
Writing your entry
Having a clear approach to communicating the key points and relevance of your entry is key. I recommend the SOSTAC model;
- Situational analysis – applies context to your entry and helps draw the judges and explain the ‘why’ behind the activity
- Objectives – stating the (SMART) marketing objectives demonstrates the strategic thinking and link to the overall business case
- Strategy – communicating the strategy which underpinned the activity and examine the relevant channels
- Tactical implementation – how did you go about delivering the campaign
- Achievements – demonstrating results is the bedrock to any successful award entry. If you can’t demonstrate good results and return on investment, then you’ll have a hard job convincing the judges, no matter how good the creative looks
- Conclusion – summarise your entry in a short paragraph and tie it back your original objectives. Were they met?
Thinking differently
The CMA judges will receive hundreds of entries, so think about how yours can stand out. Perhaps showing your results early on in your entry in a creative way, or using people to demonstrate the ‘why’, ‘how’ and result of the activity? Making your entry memorable and your key points clear will give you the best chance to grabbing the judges’ attention (without the need for gimmicks).
And one final piece of advice – meet the deadline. The awards organisers and judges are working to a complex schedule, so help them out by submitting all of your material on time.
The Construction Marketing Awards are on Thursday 6 December, so here’s hoping you pick up an early Christmas present. Good luck!
If you’re interested in developing award-winning marketing communications campaigns in the construction industry then get in touch here.
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