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Advice
‘Credible awards are a great third party endorsement,
especially when potential clients are choosing
between several suppliers’
azines is new and innovative and all that. But procedure. We tell our customers. We put it on an investment. In fact, we decided to make it a
boldly going where no business has gone our blog. We even list them as part of our email line in our marketing budget, which our COO
before can also be nerve-wracking. So, it’s re- signatures – and, of course, at the bottom of enjoys referring to as ‘cash for honours’.
assuring that judges of business awards seem this article. Second, pick the right person for the job of
to like what we’re doing as much as our Best of all, we’ve created a multi-media dig- applying. We’ve got someone who’s done a
customers do. ital brochure that not only celebrates all the brilliant job for us. She has become a genuine
Winning awards, however, is also just plain awards, complete with photographs, video expert on the whole process.
good for business. The five that we’ve won and audio, but at the same time is an example Third, pick both the right award and the
have given a real push to not just our profile of what we’re selling. We plug it on the home right category – one that you stand the best
but also to our sales and revenue. page of our site,
yudu.com. chance for, whether because it’s a perfect fit
Although it’s hard to measure the impact
What’s the secret?
and/or because, say, it might not attract lots of
precisely, we estimate that we’ve won getting other entrants. So, it’s a question both of
on for £150,000 of new business this year from The ultimate secret, of course, is having a knowing your own strengths and judging who
clients who were swayed by our award portfo- good business, with the right story. What else might apply and whether they might have
lio or mentioned our awards as a factor when YUDU is doing with online publishing is a better chance.
choosing between competing suppliers. We topical. It’s digital. It’s innovative. It’s green. In Fourth, make the time to submit a decent
reckon that our awards are a big part of the fact, digital publications are a way of being application. It normally takes about a day or so
reason that our revenue in the first half of this green and cutting costs on print and postage per award to make the initial application. Then,
year is over 14% higher than the same period at the same time, which seems yet another once you’ve been short-listed, you’ve got to
last year, despite the tougher conditions. reason that award judges like what we do. In send photos and do a bit more work. So, it’s
Awards definitely help when you’re trying to short, YUDU seems to strike the right chord. probably around two days per award in total –
win new clients. Credible awards are a great But, of course, there’s more to it than that. not including attending the awards ceremony.
third party endorsement, especially when po- The first tip is to take the job seriously – and But once you’ve done a few, it gets easier.
tential clients are choosing between several to allocate the resources needed to submit a Last but not least, remember to thank your
suppliers, or when they are new to a product or decent application. In other words, treat it as mother. Well, not really, although another
sector, which many of our clients are, and they winner at one ceremony did include thanks to
see that you’ve repeatedly been named ‘best her mum. But if you get as far as the awards
in class’. They think, ‘These guys MUST be dinner, it can be worth having the bones of an
good – look at all the awards they have won!’ acceptance speech up your sleeve.
So we mention our awards in all our mar-
keting materials and sales pitches as standard
Yudu’s awards include:
Winner - Most Innovative Media Plat-
form, How Do Awards 2008
Winner - 13th Fastest-Growing Digi-
tal Media Company in the UK, Media Mo-
mentum Top 50
Winner - Supplier of the Year Gold
Award, The Revolution Awards 2008
Winner - Business Innovation, Be In-
spired Business Awards (BIBAs) 2008
Winner - Most Promising Business
of the Year, Be Inspired Business Awards
(BIBAs), 2008
Finalist - Best Travel Technology,
An arm full: Travolution Awards 2008
Richard Stephenson with Finalist - Freshest Digital Innovation,
some of Yudo’s awards Fresh:Digital Awards 2007
Business Matters issue 164 • 27
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