Under the pump to write an award winning submission? Plug us in.

Everyone loves winning an award. But few people love the work it takes to get there. Behind every gorgeous gong is a mountain of late nights, half-finished drafts, and Slack messages asking for “just a little bit more info”. Yeah right.

Somewhere in the office, a designer is screenshots-deep in Canva hell, trying to “make the data pop”. Meanwhile, an email is bouncing around the team inbox asking if someone, anyone, can take ownership of the submission, provide a few facts, check the numbers or contribute an idea.

Anyone? Anyone?

The silence is deafening.

Many of our clients ask us to help with award entries because:

• Internal teams don’t have the time
• The project team is too close to the work
• They want an objective perspective
• They need writing expertise under a tight deadline
• They truly, deeply, madly want to win!

Time pressures aside, there’s another good reason to outsource: writing an award submission is a craft in itself. It requires solid research, compelling storytelling, clear structure, persuasive language, and a few tricks of the trade.

So how do you create an award winning entry?

Award entries are deceptively difficult to write. They often require organisations to:

• Explain complex projects clearly
• Demonstrate measurable impact
• Provide evidence and metrics
• Answer tightly structured questions
• Tell a persuasive story within strict word limits

In many organisations, award submissions are often written at the last minute. The result is entries that are either too technical or too vague - too long or too short. They’re often missing key evidence and written from an internal perspective rather than a judge’s point of view.

If you have ever judged awards, you'll know what happens on the other side of the judging table. When you’ve got 150 entries to get through, your eyes glaze over pretty quickly. You need something that really stands out and is different.

Here are a few tips.

• Sneak in an executive summary. Even if there isn't a panel for it, summarise in a few sentences upfront why your project is worth a gong.
• Think hard about your winning advantage. What is the single biggest reason for your product to win? Build your whole entry around that one point
• Limited to 50 words? Slip in a video link. Invest in a video that sums up your product or pitch, then slip it in right up front.
• Keep it human. Awards often go to ideas that connect emotionally as well as logically. Show the people behind the metrics.
• Cut the fluff. Every word, image and statistic should earn its place. If it doesn’t strengthen the story, remove it.
• Package it properly. Great work can fall flat if it’s badly presented. Use clear structure, strong visuals, well-crafted graphics and video where appropriate.
• Enter the right categories. It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised. A strong B2B result can easily disappear in a crowded consumer category. Match your strengths to the criteria.
• Get an external eye - someone outside the project can spot blind spots, jargon and assumptions that internal teams miss.
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