How to Make the Most of Award Submissions
So you've spent hours preparing your design award submission, hoping to win and receive the praise of design peers and potential clients alike. You’ve hit the submit button, off it goes…now what?
Whether you win the award or not, the value of your effort doesn't have to stop there. From a marketing perspective, the time you've spent on your submission has a number of other applications, allowing you to take better advantage of your investment. Here are just a few ways you can capitalize on your award submission.
Get Published
Going through the motions on an award submission forces you to identify the unique aspects of your project and explain them in a concise way. That's what media contacts are looking for as well! Getting press for receiving an award is often less likely than getting press for delivering a unique project. Take the story you crafted and make it relevant for the media, regardless of the award outcome.
Share the Project with Your Audience
You've already written descriptions and gathered the best photos, now get an html email together, add the project to your website, write a blog post about it, etc. Don't hold your breath waiting for an award before you share the work you're most proud of!
Involve the Client
As a designer, you may feel great about winning an award, but what about the client? Whether residential, commercial or government, any building occupant would love to know that a.) you think their building is so nice it should be up for an award and b.) it actually won one. Keep them in the loop early, share your submittal with them for feedback and even influence them to share good news amongst their media contacts or colleagues. Getting client feedback during the award process may even uncover some unique benefits about how the building functions that you didn’t think about.
Submit It Again
The final, and perhaps easiest, piece of advice is to repurpose your award submission for another contest or event. Maybe there is a trade-specific contest, a neighborhood home and garden tour, or even an online design contest or forum. There is bound to be another opportunity to update your submission and adjust it to meet another set of requirements. Good luck!
