10 Top Tips To Nab A B&T Award

Entries for this year’s B&T Awards are now open. Hundreds will submit their work but only the best of the best will be shortlisted and honoured at the B&T Awards on Friday 22 November.

What can you do to make sure your entry has the best chance of success? Our Awards team have compiled their 10 top tips to nab a B&T Award. For the full list of this year’s categories, criteria and how to submit, visit the B&T Awards website.

Enter the right category

Read the entry criteria slowly and carefully. Then, re-read the entry criteria to ensure you have the right category. Sounds obvious but you’d be surprised how often this mistake is made, and it could cost you the gong! Don’t get the intern to submit the entry on deadline, or a Media Agency could end up entering the Advertising Agency of the Year category (*take note – there’s a difference).

Remember who is judging

The B&T Awards are unique in that our judges are almost entirely marketers. CMOs and Marketing Heads who you normally pitch to! Your competitor isn’t looking at your financial results, and all judges sign non-disclosure agreements anyway, so don’t leave anything out! It could be the difference between winning and not. This is your chance to showcase your very best in front of future and present clients: even if you don’t win, you could make the next pitch invitation.

Presentation is everything

That goes for the hard copy submissions (if applicable) as well as the second round of judging. We obviously instruct our judges to assess the content of the entries but if you’re a creative agency who submits a university dissertation type document, you’re immediately on the back foot! All physical entries are best in class – ensure yours holds its own.

If you’re required to present at the live judging day (Friday 18 October): well rehearsed and prepared presentations stand out. Treat it like a pitch. In some ways it is. When else do you get to pitch your agency to 10 CMOs at once?

Action speaks louder than words

We can guarantee that every company will say that diversity and inclusion is a huge priority in their business. But what are you doing about it? Impressive entries have impressive policies and have taken real positive action within their company. And it’s not something just the HR person knows about… it’s evident that it’s directed by the very top brass.

Effectiveness matters

All categories have an element of effectiveness in the criteria. Don’t brush over the results or worse, pull the figures out of nowhere. We will be randomly auditing entries so, just like this year’s tax return, now is not the time to fudge your numbers. And marketers are notoriously good at smelling sh*t.

Stand out from the crowd

Make sure your entry is both succinct and engaging at the same time. Judges often have 40 entries to read through and you want to grab their attention! Ensure that you answer the question that is being posed in each section. Make your case why ‘you’ and only ‘you’ should win.

Get the whole team involved

They may think of something you haven’t to make your entry complete. Better yet, if you are required to pitch live, pitch first to your entire agency. Not only is it a massive morale booster, you might get some constructive feedback or a gem you hadn’t thought of.

Use your time wisely

Every now and then hop back into the portal and review your entry. Sometimes allowing a little time to pass then re-reading will trigger a new thought process and lead to an improved set of answers. Allow enough time to complete your entry properly. Rushing at the last minute increases the risk of introducing errors.

Be authentic

Don’t be afraid to admit failure where relevant. Sometimes demonstrating how you overcame a setback and thrived can show how strong and successful your company or team is.