Playing fair - how to run a trusted and transparent awards programme

As an awards manager, you naturally want to make your awards the best they can be. Maybe you’re musing about how to bag the biggest names as judges or the poshest prizes to tempt as many entrants as possible. But, it turns out, the thing that people are really interested in when it comes to entering awards, is you - and, specifically, your reputation.

Research by the Awards Trust Mark, an independent standards body, revealed that authenticity and fairness are key to convincing people of the value of awards. According to their survey, nearly all businesses (89%) rate the credibility of the company organising the awards as highly influential when choosing an award to enter. And over two-thirds say a clear scoring system and confidence in the integrity of the judging process are highly influential factors.

For someone - be that a business or an individual - to put the time, effort and, often, money into entering an award, they understandably want to be reassured that the programme is reputable and trustworthy. That is partly down to your reputation, but it’s also about your entry process, the judging procedure, the fees you charge - in short, the way you handle your awards programme from start to finish.

Here are our top tips to help you assure potential entrants that your awards are worthy of their hard work.

⭐ Get organised - put together a well-prepared awards programme with all dates, rules, and other important information easily available to all potential entrants.

⭐ Make the entry process crystal clear - be upfront about the rules, especially any restrictions that apply, and make the entry form readily accessible.

⭐ Don’t screen entrants - by brand name, turnover, perceived reputation or any other factor. This might sound obvious but less respectable awards have been known to favour entrants based on their prestige - a surefire way to trash your reputation, and put people off entering. 

⭐ Choose your judges wisely - avoid any perceived conflict of interest by selecting judges who are independent, aren’t linked to companies with a commercial stake in the awards, and have no prior relationship with any nominees.

⭐ Set up a robust, impartial judging process - and stick to it. Have a clear scoring system that all judges use (AwardStage can help you here!), and make sure that all decisions on shortlisting and winning are made by at least two independent judges.

⭐ Be fair about fees - make sure all charges, from compulsory entry fees to optional costs for trophies, for example, are visible in advance of entry.

⭐ Work with your winners - don’t charge them to use logos or promote their win, and provide quotes for press releases when requested.

⭐ Offer feedback - let entrants know why they didn't win so they can improve their chances next time.

So before you go and splash the cash on the fancy prizes, make sure your awards are transparent, fair and trustworthy - that way, entrants will know it’s worth their while to put themselves forward.

If you’d like everyone to know just how ethical your awards are, you can apply for an Awards Trust Mark, an accreditation scheme that ensures awards programmes follow industry best practice. Full disclosure: our very own Marketing Manager, Victoria Sibley, sits on the council, and is perfectly placed to advise you on the process of procuring one of these coveted accolades! Give us a shout to chat about how we can help.