ELEVATING STANDARDS
Authenticity pays
Sapna Seneviratne
Q: ‘There are awards and awards,’ so to speak. How would you differentiate the awards that corporates win – meaning, what are the keys to such awards being authentic and worthy of the recognition they carry, in your opinion?
A: Awards represent milestones, achievements, marketing, goals, recognition and so much more. They can be judged as authentic or not based on the reputation of an organisation. So awards can amplify a great reputation or can simply seem inauthentic if the business is not positively perceived for its products or services.
In the end, awards go hand in hand with brand or corporate reputation so authenticity depends on that.
Q: In your assessment, how can companies that win awards leverage on the admiration that follows – in the context of stakeholders?
A: The pride of winning an award should be a shared feeling. I believe that the more inclusive an organisation is in crediting and celebrating its wins, the more leverage it creates in the form of employee engagement, customer loyalty and trust with other stakeholders.
Awards should be seen as almost an outreach to strengthen support and trust in the corporate.
Q: And how would you compare awards bestowed by media and awarding institutions overseas with those that originate from local sources?
A: What matters is the credibility of the awarding body, the sector you operate in and the recognition that has been gained.
In some cases, it acts as a reference point or benchmark to judge an organisation’s capacity. Everything depends on context.
Q: In your view, how important are awards in contributing to an organisation’s credibility and reputation – both locally and internationally?
A: What matters is how well recognised an award is.
Winning an award that is well-known for its high credibility will have a big impact. It usually indicates above average industry standards for the award winning company and can create great visibility that would take a lot more time to build organically.
Q: Does the recognition that comes with winning awards and accolades lead to increased sales or business – and if so, how?
A: It depends on what the objectives of winning the awards are in the first place. If the efforts expended in obtaining awards are for business development, then you can certainly acquire more customers and generate more revenue.
It all depends on how well you leverage winning awards in maintaining a positive reputation and actively applying it towards customer acquisition.
Q: How should award winning organisations maintain the high standards that led to their recognition – and how would you describe these high standards?
A: High standards are about commitment; and commitment is a result of positive habits within an organisation.
Knowing what those habits are and ensuring that they’re maintained at all costs will always result in high standards across a business.
Q: Can you outline the long-term impact of winning awards on an organisation’s financial performance?
A: In the case of advertising, it is about creativity and effectiveness.
Chasing awards means you are building your core competency, which should pay off in terms of top and bottom line growth. Regardless of the sector, it offers differentiation in a highly competitive market, which helps with customer acquisition and you can pursue price hikes – all of which are financially measurable.
Q:And finally, how should award winners manage the expectations that come with being award winning organisations – both internally and externally?
A: Ideally, an award should be a result of everyday excellence – if it’s a one-off effort, it will be difficult to maintain.
Expectations can easily be managed when awards reflect our values, ethos and ways of working rather than a singular event in an organisation.
