We know many of you are working on your entries and nominations for the UnAwards 2015. We thought it would be useful to share some top tips on giving you the best shot at success this year.
You have six weeks to work on your entries. Sounds plenty of time doesn't it? But the deadline will be here before you know it.
We’ve all left award entries until the last minute in the past due to other competing work demands. But is that what your best work this year deserves? No, course not.
So use the time wisely and have a think about which of the 15 categories are a best fit with the activity and projects you are most proud of. Grab a coffee, sit somewhere quiet for 10 minutes with a pencil and a piece of paper and begin sketching out your ideas or a small mind map for your entry. Focus on the best way to make it stand out from the crowd.
WHAT WORKED WELL LAST YEAR
In the 2014 UnAwards the winning entries were generally those which were really well written, short and concise and painted a picture of why they were the obvious choice for the winner’s medal.
Innovation and ‘doing things differently’ featured strongly last year. It may have been a solution to a problem new or old but it was approached and tackled with fresh thinking.
It’s not about budget – having no budget or a decent budget won’t affect your chances either way. It’s about how you used the resources you had to best effect. Creative thinking cost £zero so this is very much an even UnAwards playing field.
SUPPORTING INFO – GET CREATIVE
This year you’ll get to complete an entry form which is designed to get the most important info from you. And you’ll also have the chance to submit one attachment. So use this chance wisely – what best represents your work? A picture says a thousand words so you might want to create something bespoke to tell your story graphically? Make a GIF, send us an infographic. A short film would be great. Or just a good old fashioned great piece of storytelling.
As the advertising industry great, Bill Bernbach, once said- “creativity is an art not a science. So be creative with your entry. Make it sing, make it fly and don’t clutter it with unnecessary words and distractions.
WHAT THE JUDGES WANT TO SEE
We have a small army of judges supporting the UnAwards this year. They come from a range of professions and sectors across comms, PR, marketing and digital. So put yourselves in their shoes and think about what would most grab their attention when they are working through submissions.
As well as creativity, the judges will want to see results – tangible outcomes which made a genuine difference to your staff, your residents, your customers or your patients. Effective research and evaluation are key to any successful comms and digital project so do make sure that your entry is strong in these areas. You don’t need to submit oodles of data and information – in fact it’s better if you don’t – but do focus on the killer stat, the compelling reason for your campaign or the driver for your objectives and intended outcome. Now I love a good stat but make sure you only include the telling metrics.
SIMPLE IS BEST. FOR A REASON
Almost always in life simple seems to work best. It’s become a bit of a mantra for us.
And it’ll work with your award entries too.
So keep it simple, give your entries the time they deserve and get entering. And don’t forget that the UnAwards are free to enter.
THE KEY DATES
- Entries and nominations are open NOW
- The closing date for entries and nominations is 28 October
- Ticket sales are open NOW (they’re priced at just £20 and will sell out. So if you want to be there don’t hang around)
- Three categories will be decided by public vote – these will open on 29 October
- The UnAwards will take place on 3 December at the rather lovely Everyman Cinema in Birmingham
Tickets for the UnAwards can be purchased here.
And to keep up to date with all of the UnAwards 15 news and announcements you’ll want to subscribe to our weekly email here.
Darren Caveney is co-creator of comms2point0 and the UnAwards