This article was written by Shamique Bowes, ACE Awards Marketing Volunteer and public relations student at Humber College.
Recognition from your peers and being established as an industry leader: these are only a few of the many advantages to receiving an ACE Award. In order to reap these benefits, you must be ready to put effort into every round of the ACE Awards process and differentiate your campaign submission among the competition.
So how are you going to make your campaign submission stand out?
Dave Scholz, Co-chair of the ACE Awards judging team and Chief Marketing Officer at Leger, offered us a few tips on how to differentiate your campaign submission amongst the competition.
ACE AWARDS RUBRIC
The first thing to do is get a copy of the rubric used to rate each submission. The rubric is split into four sections:
- Research
- Action
- Communication
- Evaluation
Besides ensuring you have each category covered, make sure guidelines and criteria for each category are met. All categories are equally important and must be well thought out, but entrants must pay special attention to the Research and Evaluation sections of their submission.
The judges are looking for your campaign to be results driven and need two crucial questions to be answered:
- “Did your results achieve your organizational objectives?”
- “What behavioural, attitudinal or cognitive change was there?’
Clearly explaining the goal and objectives of your campaign, and giving proof that you achieved them will answer these questions and show the judges why you deserve an ACE Award!
THE SMALL THINGS MATTER
By correcting and re-tailoring the small things in your submission, your submission will be simple and concise. You are not only eliminating extra work for yourself but directing the Judges’ focus to the critical aspects of your project. Here are a few “small things” to consider:
- State key points and assumptions of the campaign clearly
- Make your submission well organized and easy to follow
- Proofread!
- Cut the jargon and write economically
It is crucial to keep in mind that the judges are looking for quality, so don’t focus on the bells and whistles.
BEST IN SHOW PRESENTATIONS
The last round, which consists of a presentation, must be given the same amount of effort as your submissions. To ensure a successful presentation you need to practice, practice, practice! Make sure your presentation is ready to roll out smoothly and that everyone participating knows their cues.
Also, have someone who wasn’t involved in the project ask questions to shake out any wrinkles and prepare yourself for the judges’ inspection. Nothing is worse than getting caught out by an unexpected question!
Follow these tips and get the inside track on how to complete your ACE Award submission with flying colours. Even though the ACE Awards are just around the corner, it’s not too late to apply! The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2014 by 5 pm.
Download the ACE Awards Rubric here
Download the ACE Awards Categories listing here
Still have questions? On January 30 Dave Scholz will be taking over @CPRSToronto for an #ACEAwards cram session Q&A. Last-minute questions when you’re putting together your binder? Tweet us! More details to follow.
What: ACE Awards Twitter Q&A
When: January 30, 2014 – Time TBD
Who: Dave Scholz, Chief Marketing Officer, Leger & ACE Judging Co-Chair
Where: Twitter (Send questions to @CPRSToronto)
GOOD LUCK IN YOUR PREPARATION!