Award Categories
The following categories are open to private, public and charity sector organisations of all sizes.
Please provide a written submission of up to 1000 words explaining why you should win along with any relevant supporting information. You may enter as many categories as you wish.
The emphasis will be on demonstrable success as measured by financial results or customer / employee / community / investor benefits. Please clearly state all success measures and/or benefits in your entry.
We deliberately do not have rigid category descriptions as this would only serve to stifle business excellence. The purpose of each category below is therefore simply to provide a loose framework for your entry. You are free to interpret each category as you wish – your challenge is to wow the judges with a story about why you stand out from the rest.
Entrants compete against organisations based in the same country. Therefore be sure to specify in which country your principal office is based when applying.
Marketing
Tell us how you achieved fantastic marketing results and what sets you apart from your competitors. How has your work benefited your clients? What were the objectives and how did you perform? Open to all organisations across the private and public sector of any size as well as agencies.
Outstanding App
If you have developed a mobile app that has broken through the technology barriers and created a new, unique proposition for customers, then this is the right award for your business. There are thousands of apps, but only those that offer a unique service and have targeted new customers using smart digital technology need apply. Show us how the new app has transformed the business and attracted new clients. Tangible financial benefits must be included.
Outstanding Blog
Does your blog pull in crowds, spark interest in your product, create wellbeing around your brand and generate increased sales? If you can tick yes to all of these, your business could be the next winner of this award. Entries must highlight how the blog blends in with your marketing communications strategy and the impact it has had on the business.
Outstanding Event
To enter this award, all you need to do is tell the story behind your event and how it links with your communications plan and business strategy. The questions you need to answer are: What makes it different? Why was it held? Did it offer good value for money? What impact did it have? Who attended? Did it educate attendees, change their minds about a produce or service, or push sales through the ceiling? What did the feedback from your targeted audience reveal?
Outstanding Marketing Campaign
This award is for those who have managed both large and small marketing campaigns. The emphasis is not about the size of the campaign spend, but on meeting objectives and achieving results in terms of profit, sales, number of new customers, traffic to websites or an increase in brand awareness. It helps if imaginations and innovation in the design and management of the campaign are part of the mix. The entry must show how value for money was achieved and how the campaign impacted on the business and generated measurable benefits.
Outstanding Public Relations Campaign
With an array of media to choose from, public relations campaigns are more complicated than ever before. The judges are looking for slick PR campaigns that show clarity of thought, measurable targeted outcomes, innovation in choice of channels and brilliant outcomes linked to the overall business strategy. If you have a PR campaign that has changed hearts and minds or led to a run on sales, the judges would like to hear from you.
Outstanding Website
The judges are looking for evidence of real innovation, ease of navigation and unique interactive services. If you recently launched a website with a fresh new design and functionality, this is your opportunity to explain what makes your website different. Information on the concept and development of the website, customer feedback, traffic levels, sales information, media coverage and cost and return on investment should all be included in your 1,000-word entry.
Personal
Our judges want to hear your journey, how have you got where you are today and where you are going? How have your skills benefited the organisation and its customers? What makes you stand out? What business challenges have you had to overcome? Open to individuals across the private and public sector.
Outstanding Employee
Does your company have a star employee who shows great potential and has had a major impact on the business? It could be a member of staff who has worked on a restructuring programme or new project, or someone who sees things differently and has changed the fortunes of the company. Tell us their story, what makes them different and what are their achievements and successes?
Outstanding Entrepreneur
This award is aimed at a dynamic leader who has turned a germ of an idea into a successful business. Entries must demonstrate product/service innovation, and steady growth of the enterprise in terms of staff members, customers and turnover. The submission should include the entrepreneur’s background, how they spotted an opportunity, how they overcame challenges, how the business developed, the commercial strategy, distribution, financial evidence and future plans. Feedback on the reaction from customers and the market should be included.
Outstanding Executive
This is awarded to an exceptionally talented and intuitive executive who has produced great results. Entries must show individuality, a track record of excellence and of taking control and introducing new ways of work including staff management and relationships, and the valuing of staff. The entry could be based on a particular project, bringing in change across the organisation, introducing a new initiative or running a community or charity project. Benefits and outcomes must be clearly stated.
Outstanding New Employee (employed less than 2 years)
New employees who outshine their peers, show exceptional talent, imagination and a grasp of business issues and problem solving skills are likely to attract the judges’ attention. This award is for a new employee, who in their first two years of working on a project or in a team, has produced outstanding results, innovation, clear thinking and new ways of resolving issues. The way they worked, their conduct, attitude, tasks undertaken, and results should all be mentioned.
Outstanding Non-Executive Director
Being able to operate independently, non-executive directors get a different view of a company and can provide great insight and originality. Their work can be invaluable as is their access to useful contacts. Entries should outline business problems facing the non-executive director, their characteristics, knowledge and how they used their skills and talents to change the fortunes of the business perhaps by spotting a niche market or developing a new product.
Outstanding Personal Achievement
Anyone in any role in an organisation can apply for this award as long as excellence, resilience, perseverance and commitment are demonstrated. The focus should be on the issue, how the person went about executing the tasks, and the outcome and impact on the business and people around them. You need to explain what makes this person different, how they overcame a challenge and their exceptional achievements.
Outstanding Professional
Open to staff at all levels within the organisation, this is for that special person who has excelled and gone above and beyond the expectations of their role. Has someone in your organisation introduced a new time-saving way of working, turned a division around or increased the customer base in a new innovative way or opened up new markets? To enter, tell their story the way it is and the changes or improvements they have introduced.
Outstanding Young Executive (under 35 years)
The judges are looking for a game-changer who has set the pace in an existing market or spotted a new market, improved services for customers or made use of technology in a new way not thought possible. This award is for high flyers who already have a track record of outstanding achievement under their belt yet still have more to give.
Team
Do your teams play a key role in your success? Tell us how they excel and help the organisation to grow and meet its objectives. You can focus on specific projects or the ongoing day-to-day work they deliver at an outstanding level. What makes this group of people special. Open to teams of two or more people across the private and public sector.
Outstanding Customer Service Team
This award is for the team that has implemented a new customer service initiative in line with corporate objectives and excelled; or turned their department around with a new programme and created seamless, awe-inspiring customer service. Figures should be included on the before and after showing how customer satisfaction has improved. You should also provide figures that show increased staff engagement and job satisfaction.
Outstanding Financial Team
This could be about the introduction of a new initiative to streamline financial processes or the implementation of new technology, but it is important that the entry shows cohesive team work, innovation, cost savings, measurable improvements in operations and strong leadership from the top. Benefits to the organisation and outcomes must be substantive.
Outstanding HR Team
Internal and outsourced HR teams are eligible to enter this award. Has the team introduced a new programme or initiative, made a different to staff services, improved staff morale, streamlined HR operations and made the organisation more effective and efficient? The judges want to know about the situation, the actions taken, what makes the team different and the outcome for the organisation.
Outstanding IT Team
New technology can give an enterprise a competitive edge helping it to win market share. Has your IT team or outsourced IT team supported the organisation to achieve more, reduce costs and make an impact in the marketplace? Projects of any size and value can apply for this award. The focus should be on how the team achieved technical innovative and the benefits to the company.
Outstanding Marketing Team
This award is for the team that created something new and exciting in marketing using imagination and multi-media solutions. Submissions should mention how the team supported corporate objectives, came up with brilliant ideas, met objectives, worked together and produced results.
Outstanding Public Relations Team
Demonstrate how your public relations team has helped your business build positive relationships with all stakeholders and created a strong brand image. Explain the background to the team’s achievements, what the objectives were, the outcomes, how they obtained added valued for the company and why they are the premier PR team.
Organisation Wide
What makes your business, product or service stand out? Tell us what you set out to achieve and how you have performed. What can your competitors learn from you? What are your staff, customers and the media saying about you? Where are you now and where do you want to be? Open to private and public sector organisations of any size.
Outstanding Business
Entries must demonstrate that the business is a good all-rounder with ready growth, a unique mission statement, a great product, creative marketing, and strong ethics throughout the organisation and the supply chain. Commitment to professionalism, equality and diversity, protecting the environment, value staff, corporate social responsibility and building good relationships with suppliers must be mentioned.
Outstanding Community Initiative
Recognising businesses that give back to the community, this award is for companies that encourage staff to get involved in projects or partnerships outside of the workplace. It could be for work undertaken in the local community or at a national level. Answers should mention why the initiative was chosen, management involvement, actions undertaken, resources allocated to the project, impact on the community and company, and future plans.
Outstanding Customer Service Initiative
Celebrating organisations that deliver outstanding service to their customers, entries must explain the background to the initiative and focus on the connection between excellent customer service, improved profitability and/or value to the bottom line. Feedback from customers must be included proving how service has improved.
Outstanding Educational Service
Aimed at educational institutions or organisations that have had to change consumer attitudes and behaviour, this award recognises the challenges, innovation, methodology and results. Explain the background, why the educational initiative was required, objectives for the service, the message, who it was aimed at, how it was executed and outcome. Organisational and financial benefits should be included, if relevant.
Outstanding Employer
Show how staff engagement and retention rates have improved, and how the company has motivated people to excel in their roles. Tell the judges about the new initiatives introduced, how you invest in staff, take on apprentices, have a strong diversity and inclusion policy and have improved staff benefits. Finally, you should demonstrate how you have a created a great team that has contributed to the success of the business over the long term.
Outstanding Fast-Growth Business
Growth can be the result of the introduction of a unique new product, exploitation of a new market or because of improved sales methods. If your business has seen supersonic growth over the past few years in terms of turnover, product sales, distribution, overseas expansion and staff numbers, then this is the award for your business. Entries need to outline the background to the business, the reasons behind the growth, the impact this has had on the business, how growth is being managed and future plans. Figures to back up the claims should be included.
Outstanding Financial Initiative
Money makes the world go round and if there is an easier, more efficient way to process it, the judges want to hear from you. This award is for a financial department that has brought out a new initiative, most likely using smart technology, that cuts costs and provides new efficiencies. When explaining the background, it is important to mention the need for the project, who conducted the work, impact on staff and changes and benefits for the organisation.
Outstanding Green Initiative
Going green is more than a trend; it’s become part of everyday business. Tell the judges about all your latest sustainable environment protection schemes involving energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and reducing the carbon footprint. Any environmental certificates awarded and environmental impact assessments undertaken for a project are worth mentioning.
Outstanding HR Initiative
Far-reaching HR initiatives that motivate staff and save time by providing online employee services can transform an organisation. Explain the background to your initiative, the challenges, what it involved, why it was needed and how it has changed the organisation. Measurable results, including feedback from staff surveys, should be emphasised as well as the cost of the initiative and the return on investment.
Outstanding Innovation
Has your organisation discovered an innovation that is a game-changer for a market, created a new product or service or transformed the organisation and the way it works? If so, the judges are keen to hear about your exciting innovation, why it is needed and how it was developed. Entrants must demonstrate that there is demand for the innovation and should also outline objectives, profitability levels and verify outcomes with evidence of sales figures, market share and customer feedback.
Outstanding IT Initiative
Only those organisations that have harnessed technology and improved operations, customer service, staff services or back-office operations, need apply for this award. Show in detail how your organisation has developed and managed an IT initiative that has resulted in qualifiable improvements. Tangible proof of benefits is required.
Outstanding New Product / Service (less than two years old)
This award is for organisations that have identified new products or services and successfully brought them to market, or adapted an existing product for a new market. Show why there is a need for the new product/service, how it developed, how demand grew, objectives for growth, and benefits to the company including increased turnover and a larger market share.
Outstanding Product / Service
Aimed at organisations with unique products or services that have been recently launched and well received by the marketplace, this award is for those operating in the consumer or the business-to-business market. Judges are interested in how the product/service fits in with existing products or services, what makes the product/service different, the market potential and the target market. Tell us about what makes the product/service special, likely growth in demand from customers, market reaction, business objectives, estimated turnover and profitability expectations.
