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VOLUME 43 | ISSUE 5 | SEPT/OCT 2024
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The Marketing Communications Awards:
Best Practices
for Preparing a Winning Entry
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By Dorothy J. Verdon, CPSM
FEATURE
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The best thing about winning an award is the validation you get from a jury of your peers who recognize the value of a plan, a design, a program, an effort, or a product and its successful implementation. It’s an objective third-party endorsement of something you and your team already think is an outstanding example of excellence in whichever award program and category you are entering. There are dozens of award programs in the A/E/C industries, the most well-known of which are sponsored by magazines and professional organizations such as Architectural Record, ENR, AIA, ACEC, ASCE, ASLA, CMAA, DBIA, and others too numerous to list. What they all have in common is that they honor work produced by technical teams.

History of the MCAs

In 1977, SMPS recognized a need for a marketer-focused awards program and initiated what is now the longest-standing, most prestigious awards competition that recognizes excellence in marketing communications produced by marketers in the design and building industries: the SMPS Marketing Communications Awards (MCA) program. Until 2015, when SMPS initiated a hybrid approach, submissions were physical, and judging was in person. In 2016, the program went entirely online. The switch allowed HQ to diversify the jury geographically and demographically, as well as grow it by over 300%.
Now in its 48th year, the annual MCA program typically attracts more than 190 firms submitting in 20 different categories, with all but two having sub-categories of print, digital, and/or mixed media. Each year, SMPS receives an average of 300 submissions that are judged by 200+ marketers assigned to jury panels specific to a category.
You may already have a marketing communications piece, program, or campaign in mind to submit that you believe can be a winner in its category. In order to get the best return on your investment of time, money, and creativity, here’s what you need to know to improve your chances of winning this coveted award, heightening your team’s value within your company, and being showered with the accolades you’ve worked so hard to earn.
Molly Dall’Erta, HQ’s director of member recognition and programs, is approaching her 25th year with SMPS and is responsible for managing the MCA program. In response to the question, “What do the ‘winningest’ submissions have in common?” she responded without hesitation, “Based on the juror’s feedback, they follow the submission directions and answer the questions exactly as the criteria outlines.”

How Winning Entries Rise to the Top

When asked why some excellent marketing communication pieces, programs, and events fail to win, Molly replied, “Jurors cite that they take points off if the submitter does not follow directions or fails to answer all the criteria questions. Even if the entrant cannot provide information regarding a specific question, they should address that in their response.” She went on to state the other key reason: “Entrants may overlook that this is a marketing competition, not a design competition. The criteria questions are based on the SMPS six domains of practice. Just because an entrant may have a large budget and the entry is graphically appealing does not necessarily mean it will win. They must support the entry with the marketing effort that went into the piece and explain why it was successful.”
Almost without exception, recommendations for how to increase your chances of winning an award in the competitive MCA program can also be applied to other national and equally competitive award programs that focus on design excellence.

Here are a few tips for realizing a positive outcome:

Target any award program the same way you would potential clients by resisting a scattershot approach. Submit selectively, using go/no go criteria such as budget, level of effort, odds of winning, appropriate audience for your work, and demonstrable value for your firm.
Be rigorous in your assessment of a potential entry. Does it measure up to winners in prior years? View the 2024 MCA Gallery for a reality check.
Be clear about the business objectives of your piece, event, or campaign, and be sure your entry and message are consistent with these objectives.
Plan ahead. It takes longer than you might think to compile the necessary data, graphics, and text content that comprise a compelling entry.
Choose the category that best suits your entry, and then follow the submittal requirements (URL or PDF) for that category. Remember that judges are assigned to evaluate submissions in a single category, and they are keenly aware of the requirements. Because there may be as many as 20 entries in a single round of judging, clarity, and readability are key in both the graphics and text content of the material(s) that showcase your submission. There is currently no limit to the number of pages in a PDF, but the goal is to communicate to the judges why your entry is outstanding as quickly and clearly as possible.
Responsiveness to the entry form is of paramount importance. Content that is incomplete or unresponsive to the information requested can lower the score. The sections that are most often found to be incomplete are “Target Audience” (5 points) and “Results” (20 points). Check out “Judging Criteria and Scoring” here.
Write concisely, but don’t forget to tell the story. Jurors want to know what business decision inspired the piece, event, or campaign, what obstacles you overcame, who was involved, how it was implemented, and what benefits your firm derived from the overall effort. If your entry is a unicorn that sets new standards for A/E/C communications, say so and provide supporting evidence! The 250-word “Creative Brief” section is a premier opportunity to grab a judge’s attention and set the tone for their receptivity to the rest of your entry.

Good advice is timeless.

In preparation for the session, “Winning Award Competitions: What Judges Crave,” which I co-presented at the 2002 SMPS National Marketing Conference in Chicago, I polled jurors from seven different organizations, including SMPS.
In answer to the question, “What top three ‘Dos’ do you have for submitters to the MCA,” the SMPS jurors responded:
  • Remember to provide cost information
  • Substantiate market research and quantify results
  • Be responsive to judging criteria
  • Tell the story behind the program, product, or event
  • Write about what cannot be seen in the visuals
Among their “Don’ts” were submitting in the wrong category and trying to make your entry fit; poorly written content; assuming that vague answers, especially those concerning results, are acceptable; or entering at all if the project isn’t worthy.
And for the final “Do,” be sure to register for the annual webinar, “How to Submit a Winning Entry in the SMPS Marketing Communications Awards,” scheduled for January 16, 2025. It deftly covers each step of the submission process, with particular emphasis on meeting judging criteria and providing specific data that qualifies and quantifies the unique and exemplary facets of your entry and enables it to rise above all others in its category. If you want to get a jump on the process, you can view the 2024 webinar here.

The 2025 MCA Call for Entries

The 2025 MCA Call for Entries will open on December 13, 2024. The early submission deadline at a discounted rate will be February 18, 2025, and the final deadline will be March 21, 2025. Good luck!
Dorothy J. Verdon, CPSM, is the founder of Bright Bunny Communications in West Chester, PA. Verdon is an information synthesizer with over 40 years of experience helping A/E/C employers and clients. Her special skill lies in combining words and images to produce brand-strengthening content and effective marketing communications across the entire media spectrum.
Contact her at dorothy@brightbunnycommunications.com.