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How to Set Up a Terrible Awards Program This Year

Your normal self has probably confronted the 7 deadly sins, but does your stellar awards-marketing-manager self know that there are deadly sins for awards program too? If not, there’s no reason to fear.

Why not? Because by understanding where you can go wrong, you can keep your program headed in the right direction from the beginning to the very last minute. And, by implementing these changes in your program each and every year, you can keep your association’s excellent reputation intact all while building an audience and captivating credibility.

So, ready to learn about how to set up a terrible awards program this year (or rather, how to make sure this doesn’t happen to you)?

1. Don’t Take Time to Carefully Plan Your Program

Careful planning is practically synonymous with a successful awards program. This is especially true because identifying the core essence of your program and your goals will remain the driving force for the remainder of the program.

Now, I know what you’re wondering: “is it really so bad to wing the program as it proceeds?” The short answer is yes, particularly because failing to plan means not taking the time to identify key goals that should drive your entire campaign.

So, is your primary goal to increase membership? Increase member engagement? Create additional sources of revenue? Start from there and plan away; you’ll be glad you did.

2. Don’t Create a Budget

How often have you thought, “I don’t need a budget, I can just keep a running total of expenses in my head and it will be fine in the end?” If the answer is every time your awards program comes up, you’re likely committing another marketing deadly sin: not creating a budget.

Costs add up quickly, particularly when you consider how much it will cost to pay staff and judges, run advertising, invest in software to track submissions, fund an awards gala, and produce the awards themselves.

You don’t want to be in the hole at the end of your program. Instead, avoid this deadly sin and simply take the time to consider and plan for your expenses before even spending a penny.

3. Don’t Execute With Careful Timing

As with all major programs, timing is everything. By failing to consider your timing, you run the risk of your awards gala conflicting with major annual association activities or even major holidays, negatively affecting your attendance. Or, worse yet, you won’t even receive enough entries because the program was launched with virtually no notice.

Don’t let timing tamper with your program. Banish this deadly sin before it has a chance to creep in with careful planning of everything from your gala to your judging assignments, activities, and other important milestones. To learn more about timing and awards, take a look at our Social Media Toolkit that includes a sample calendar!

4. Don’t Set Up Your Program and Forget About It

You already know that your program simply can’t succeed on its own, so why is the deadly sin of forgetting about a program so prominent in the awards program industry? Beats us!

Setting up your program and failing to nurture it through advertising and consistent promotional activity can cause weak participation numbers, a lack of interest, and a general lack of awareness that your program is actually going on. Worse yet, it can wipe out your awards gala too, particularly if you lose steam towards the end of your program.

The solution? Keep chatter up by turning to social media, email marketing, and other communication strategies to keep all entrants in the loop.

5. Don’t Create Awards Categories

Have you ever been to one of those websites where there’s no categories, making it impossible to find what you’re looking for or determining whether or not you even want to buy what a company has to offer? Probably. And, to avoid your program having the same issues, it’s vital to create categories with quality in mind.

With too many categories (or too few), your awards will diminish in value. Without guidelines regarding qualifications for each category, your entrants can quickly become confused or discouraged. If there are no categories at all, the quality of your organization is likely to diminish.

So, do you have time to create categories, qualification guidelines, and other vital details for your program? Of course you do!

6. Don’t Bother Aligning Your Awards Program to Your Brand

Branding is everything when it comes to an awards program. In fact, consistent messaging is the key difference between enhancing your association through your program or running a program that has virtually no impact for your organization (except maybe on your budget).

When you’re designing your awards program, carry over your brand’s goals and mission throughout the program itself as well as the advertising and marketing. By doing so, you can ensure your program has maximum impact and serves its ultimate purpose.

7. Create Your Own System to Manage Your Program

What do spreadsheets, binders, paper, and surveys have in common? The ability to quickly turn your awards program into a tailspin with overworked staff, lost entries, and overall confusion and disorganization.

Does this mean your program is hopeless? Nope! Instead, use a centralized awards management system that has everything needed for payment and submission collection, assigning judging tasks, generating reports, and organizing necessary communications. As a result, your program will go on without a hitch and will be the talk of the industry.

Want additional information about each deadly sin and how to ensure your program doesn’t come into contact with them? Download our guide to get comprehensive information about how to execute your program properly!

So, what strategies does your awards program use to avoid the awards industry’s 7 deadly sins? Share your thoughts below!

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Miriam Hancock

Miriam Hancock
Miriam is the Marketing Coordinator for OpenWater. When she isn't writing and designing content she paints and cooks for her own personal blog.

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