Retail Awards: How to Promote an Award Win?
For any business, winning a retail award is a proud and joyous moment. A good reflection on your team and some swagger for being recognised in the industry are included in your deserved win. That said, you still need to properly market retail awards to ensure you extract full value from them. Promotion can make your brand more visible, increase customer trust, and boost employee morale.
An award win is not a plaque that gathers dust on the shelf; it wields marketing power to build partnerships and rapport throughout your industry. On that note, this blog details why you need to promote an award win and how to share the good news of your achievement.
What are retail awards?
Retail awards can cover a wide range of the field, like customer service, retail innovation, and more. These may be sector-specific or wider business awards, and they are extremely meaningful to both internal stakeholders as well as the general public.
An award win can do wonders for brand reputation, telling customers and the industry at large that you are a cut above the competition. They also increase the morale and engagement of employees, demonstrating the impact of employee awards in retail and contributing to a culture based on values where recognition and teamwork drive success and team members feel proud and become more loyal and productive.
Research from the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) shows that companies promoting their awards through multiple channels experienced a 25% increase in customer retention and a 15% boost in overall sales. These statistics highlight how promoting an award win can directly influence customer trust, loyalty, and retention, making it a valuable marketing tool.
Why is promoting award wins important in the retail industry?
Retail companies should push and promote winning these awards for many reasons, including:
- Brand Credibility and Trust: Wins instill confidence in the fact that you will be amongst trusted companies. They demonstrate to your customers, partners, and stakeholders alike that your company is a brand leader in the space you operate in. It also builds trust among your potential customers because they know that the award received went through quality-control.
- Morale, employee engagement, and recognition culture: The recognition of an award win is a wonderful way to celebrate your employees. Retail awards are considered innovative retail employee rewards that will fuel staff to work well for your vision.
- Brand Recognition: All companies should participate in award programs to increase brand visibility. To summarise, the more consumers see and associate your brand with this value, the easier your campaign will become.
- Enhancing Customer Credibility: Making sure that your brand is understood by your peers and stands out in quality ensures people’s trust. This, in turn, can lead to more loyal and returning customers.
Your company awards should be part of your overall marketing strategy. They help increase and keep the success of your brand.
How to promote an award win in retail
In fact, an effective awards management demands a multi-channel strategy. You will need to harness the power of website updates, social media posts, and other strategies to leverage your win.
Here are some strategies to make the most of your achievement:
1. Announce your win with impact
The first step is to make a powerful announcement. Notify victory on all fronts—website, socials, email, and in-store (if possible). Hit up the necessary elements in your announcement.
- Explain what the award is for and why it matters.
- Introduce important quotes from stakeholders and employees.
- Name the awarding organization and what this particular recognition entails.
- Engage with visibility and display. Capture your target audience’s attention with compelling visuals and quick messaging.
- Make sure that you share the news more than once—it should be posted on a regular basis over a period of time to raise awareness among your audience.
2. Add your award to your website and create a content plan
If you received an award, it should be displayed on your website. You can also add a dedicated section to your homepage, About page, or create a whole landing page that commemorates the win and goes into more detail as to why it matters for your customers. This builds credibility around your site and gives an SEO boost.
You want to help perpetuate the momentum of this award-winning moment by incorporating it into your overall award marketing strategy and creating a content plan around it.
This can include:
- A blog post detailing your award, how you won it, and what it means for your company.
- Photos and video of the award ceremony, if applicable
- Client stories or case studies pertaining to the award-winning achievement
Using your award as part of the content on your website will therefore increase both visibility and trust among potential clients.
3. Create a social media campaign
If you have won an award, one of the best ways to tell as many people about it is through a social media campaign. Having a dedicated campaign with a positive impactful announcement that not only advertises your accomplishment but helps portray the human side behind the glory.
You might want to include the following:
- Behind-the-scenes of how the team achieved the award. You can take short videos during the preparatory and winning stages.
- Quote employees. Ask them to share their reflections on the victory, which can also boost your retail employee engagement, and mention the growth of your business.
- Video and infographics on the award itself. A short video can be embedded into the announcement, and an infographic can be a separate post. It can contain the award’s photos, the number of participating organisations, and the judging criteria.
To expand the reach of your post and spread the word, ask your employees to share it on their personal channels. Let your followers weigh in or thank them for engaging.
4. Prepare an email campaign
Another useful method for making the most of your news is email marketing. You can notify your subscribers via email or newsletter and include the award in your email signatures for extra exposure.
You could also:
- Post a blog or landing page that showcases the award
- Run a contest to mark the victory by providing a discount or special promotion.
- Emphasise how this award will help your products or services
Plus, an email campaign keeps your past client base in the loop and makes them feel a part of your success.
5. Maximise PR opportunities
The media is almost universally interested in award winners. Develop and send out a press release to announce your win, what it means, as well as appropriate quotes from your team. Additionally, you can:
- Pitch thought leadership articles or guest posts to relevant industry publications.
- Present at retail conferences or webinars and highlight your award win.
- If you can, include a joint piece with game changers on your triumph and the stages that led to you winning.
Effective PR can increase visibility and establish your store as an industry leader.
6. Build partnerships and networking opportunities
Awards offer all kinds of new partnerships and networking possibilities. Capitalise on your victory by creating relationships in the industry through:
- Working together with other award winners on joint projects and promotional campaigns.
- Working with influencers or thought leaders to guest post, prospect in a podcast, or do an interview on your accomplishment.
- Promoting the awarding organisation and their partners for further visibility
While awards can provide credibility, it’s how you use that credibility that allows you to build relationships with and expand your brand further.
Final thoughts
Your business entered and won an award. How do you promote it? Not just as a one-time announcement, but by turning it into something that you can continuously use for your marketing long-term success and provide ROI over time.
Chances are winning an award will have a positive impact on your business too; it will be beneficial in areas like lowering the staff turnover rate and boosting brand awareness while raising confidence among customers and morale among employees.
Use powerful announcements in your social media campaigns, email marketing, and PR opportunities post-win to leverage the recognition. Recognise employees who more than deserved this award, and remember why you celebrate retail employees: their dedication and hard work are what drive success. Thank each and everyone in your team who has helped you wherever they were needed!
Before you can promote your award, you need to win one!
If you’re ready to showcase your excellence, consider entering your company in the People in Retail Awards to highlight your achievements and inspire others. Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your company’s excellence and inspire others. Please get in touch here.
