The ubiquitous awards season is in full swing! Beginning in mid-January and running through the end of spring, it seems every association and organization in the world is conducting its awards program.
Most people are familiar with the famous Academy Awards and Golden Globe awards programs, but there are numerous other, more obscure, awards we never hear about. There's the Outstanding Pork Producer Award, the Smart Monkey Awards, the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge Awards, and even the awards industry has its own awards!
For those of us who are MarCom Pros, there are dozens more awards to choose from. Many of us are familiar with the ADDY, Effie and the Clio awards, but there are many other national and local MarCom awards most of us have never heard of. Many of these awards recognize creativity, innovation, engagement and a variety of other outstanding capabilities.
We have been fortunate enough to win several of these industry awards and we always feel very honored that our peers have recognized us for our efforts. This recognition also underscores our value to our clients, and let's face it - it's a nice ego boost as well!
However, there is one MarCom award that is truly meaningful to the winning organization because it measures what effect it has had on the bottom line. I'm referring to the REGGIE Awards sponsored by the Brand Activation Association (BAA). Now in its 30th year, the REGGIE Awards program is renowned for identifying the most outstanding U.S. brand activation campaigns across a variety of marketing categories. The winning campaigns must build brands and ‘make the register ring’, by increasing a brand’s market-share, profits or volume.
What makes the Reggie Awards truly meaningful and coveted is the benefit of going beyond simple bragging rights and providing exposure that show up at the cash registers (hence the REGGIE name). The winners of the Gold, Silver or Bronze awards receive extensive publicity in the trade and business media and are featured on the electronic billboards in NY’s Times Square. The top REGGIE winners become eligible to be considered for a Globe Award, a global competition among more than 25 participating countries honoring the world's best marketing communications programs.
Every year, the list of REGGIE winners reads like a "Who's Who" of the world's leading brands - Coca Cola, McDonald's, American Express, Disney, Kleenex, Ford, Dupont, Pepsi, Nestle and many others. However, winners also include smaller brands that are doing some very innovative marketing.
So from now on, when I think of MarCom awards that are truly meaningful, I'll think of the REGGIE awards. Not just because BAA is our client, but also because it truly measures the ROI of the marketing efforts.
Just out of curiosity, what do you think of award programs and how many do you enter?