Winning an award by a business/company adds to its list of achievements. An award announcement press release can be wisely used to enhance this achievement by informing the general public and media. It can also give an upper hand in showcasing the credibility of a business online. The award-winning press release contains details of the award like why it was given, who were the contenders, what is special about it and how it affects the company. This article will cover all the aspects (template, example, tips) that are required to successfully publish a press release for announcing an award.
Aim: Getting the best possible coverage for the press release announcement for winning an award.
Tools: The tools to achieve this aim are template, sample, writing tips and a high-quality distribution. Ultimately, the PR must become visible online on reputed portals so that the company/business can add to its positive brand building.
Sample Template:
Template for an award press release is given below
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Headline] /*use name of employee, his/her position + company name + attractive news angle*/
[Sub-heading] /*A summary of 2-3 sentences.*/
[Location City], [Date]. [Company Name], [industry/sector in which it functions], announced today that its’ [service, campaign, product] was honored with the [award name] award. [2-3 sentences about the significance of the award and why the company won it].
[Name of award receiving person], [position in the company] of [company name], while receiving the award said that “[Quote]”. He added, “[Quote]”.
[Explain the big participants in the award + previous achievements of your company + how it fits your company’s mission] /*3-4 sentences*/
[Name of person/organization giving the award], while giving the award said “[Quote]”.
[Discuss which product/service of the company was given the award + other fields where the company excels + why customers of the company trust them]. [Future plans for the company relevant to the award (if any)].
[Quote from a top official of the company]
About [Company Name]
[Company establishment + mission + vision].
About [Awarding Organization]
[2-3 sentences on awarding organization and key details related to them].
Media Contact (Company):
[Name]
[Job Title]
[Email address] /*official email, not free ones like gmail, yahoo*/
[Phone number]
[Website URL]
[Location city and state]
Media Contact (Awarding Organization):
[Name]
[Job Title]
[Email address] /*official email, not free ones like gmail, yahoo*/
[Phone number]
[Website URL]
[Location city and state]
Award Announcement Press Release Example
[Headline] XYZ Inc. wins the Best Innovative Campaign Award in the Technology Sector
[Sub-heading] The Nano Technology Campaign by XYZ Inc. was awarded the Best Innovative Campaign Award at the Technology Awards held in San Francisco.
San Francisco, February 18, 2023 – XYZ Inc., a leading technology company, announced today that its “Nano Technology Campaign” has won the Best Innovative Campaign Award in the technology sector at the Technology Awards event held in San Francisco. The award recognizes the company’s efforts and contributions to the technology sector.
John Doe, Vice President of Technology Solutions at XYZ Inc. received the award on behalf of the company and said, “It is an honor to receive this prestigious award, and we are proud to be recognized for our efforts in the technology sector. We are committed to delivering innovative and top-quality technology solutions to our clients, and this award is a testament to our team’s dedication.”
The Technology Awards are the most prestigious awards in the technology sector and are attended by the most significant players in the industry like Intel, HP, IBM, etc. The award recognizes companies for their innovation, creativity, and excellence in the technology sector.
The awarding organization, Tech Corp, said, “We are delighted to recognize XYZ Inc. for its outstanding achievements in the technology sector. The company’s innovative campaign is a testament to its commitment to excellence, and we look forward to seeing more innovative solutions from the company.”
XYZ Inc.’s Nano Technology Campaign showcases the company’s commitment to delivering the latest technology solutions to its clients. The company has always been at the forefront of technology and continues to innovate to meet the evolving needs of its clients. The company’s expertise in the technology sector has helped its clients achieve success and stay ahead of the competition.
“Our clients trust us because of our commitment to delivering innovative and top-quality technology solutions, and this award is a testament to that trust,” said Jane Smith, CEO of XYZ Inc. “We are thrilled to receive this award, and it is a recognition of our team’s hard work and dedication.”
About XYZ Inc.
XYZ Inc., founded in 2019, is a leading technology company that provides innovative technology solutions to its clients. The company is committed to delivering top-quality and innovative technology solutions to its clients and is at the forefront of technology. The company’s expertise in the technology sector has helped its clients achieve success and stay ahead of the competition.
About Tech Corp
Tech Corp is a leading organization that recognizes and honors the outstanding achievements of companies in the technology sector. The organization is committed to promoting and recognizing innovation, creativity, and excellence in the technology sector.
Media Contact (XYZ Inc.):
John Smith
Public Relations Manager
john.smith@xyzinc.com
+1-555-123-4567
www.xyzinc.com
San Francisco, California
Media Contact (Tech Corp):
Jane Doe
Marketing Manager
jane.doe@techcorp.com
+1-555-234-5678
www.techcorp.com
San Francisco, California
Significance of sending out a press release for announcing the award
A press release issued for award-winning has the following advantages:
Showcases its Excellence
An award given for a particular product/service/performance shows the expertise of the company related to the product/service/performance. It also gives the right to showcase “Awarded by… ” logo on the company website which bolsters customers’ trust in the company. For articles related to the company, journalists and industry experts can cite the press release to talk about the past performance of the company.
Helps in Making Choices
With competition in almost every sector, a potential customer who finds out that the company has been awarded for its work/product/service will be more inclined to select it as he gets a good impression of the company. This is also useful when industry-specific blogs compare various companies working in that sector.
Opens Doors to Expansion
Partnerships, franchises and investments are some of the means by which a business can grow faster. Companies looking to partner with other businesses always look out for quality partners and one of the key decision-making parameters is recognition of the product/service of a company by a third party (awards). The same also holds true for investors as they look for the history of a company before making a decision to invest in a company. When a company opens door to franchise business model, then the potential franchise holders look at the credibility of the company and awards are one of the influential factors in this decision-making process.
Affects Organic Growth in Search Engines
A press release gets syndicated to many distribution partners due to which it gets backlinks from various sites. When many sites link to a site, then it counts towards the link-building efforts which in turn helps in strengthening the company’s website in search engines. A better ranking position means more traffic and more conversions (sales).
Cascading Effect
Through the feed system, the press releases reach out to many bloggers and journalists. If the content seems interesting, then it is much likely to get covered organically on niche-related blogs, sites and news portals. This in turn boosts coverage and adds to the brand value to the company.
Do’s and Dont’s of an award announcing press release
Note the following points for a press release in this case:
1. No I, We, You
Press release platforms don’t accept content written in first and second person. This means that you cannot use direct-referencing words like I, We, you, etc in press release. Direct-referencing words are allowed only in the quote area of PR content.
2. Make it Simple and Easy
Do not go for flowery words while writing a press release. A press release must be framed to inform rather than to make a person search through the dictionary. People from different backgrounds will come across your press release, so it must be easy to comprehend by an average web visitor. Avoid jargon and technical terms specific to the industry. However, in some cases, it might not be feasible to avoid industry-specific terms, but the overall focus must be to keep the content simple.
3. Don’t Miss the Basic Questions
The press release for announcing an award must definitely answer the basic questions like what, why, when, etc? A person who intends to cover it on a blog or news portal (media person or industry expert) must not find it as a half-baked press release. Details about the award-giving organization must also be there so that any person who intends to follow up on this event can easily gain access to more details.
4. Right Formatting
Don’t send the press release without proofreading it. Although minor punctuation mistakes are handled by editors of press release platforms but don’t be dependent on that as it is ultimately your company’s image that will be at stake through the content in the press release.
5. Quantity is Not the Main Issue
While distributing PR, aim on getting coverage on reputed platforms rather than on the number of sites. Many low-tier networks can provide coverage on 100’s of junk sites for a very low price but such distribution is useless as no one visits such sites.
6. Headline Experiment
Headline creates the first impression about a press release. Don’t just throw away a generic headline for announcing an award. See if it can be tweaked somehow to make it more interesting. Spend more time in framing a headline than framing the content of press release. This is significant because people (including journalists) scan through various PR headlines appearing on their feed and they spend just a fraction of a second to decide if its worth reading. However, a catchy and interesting headline must not translate as long headline as there is a character limit on the headline (varies with site).
7. Late Editing Trap
Since press releases get distributed to multiple sites, so it is not possible to make any edits to content after distribution. So ensure that the data and statements given in the press release are correct. Also, false data in the press release can tarnish the image of a company if it gets highlighted by media or competing businesses.
8. Pay Attention to Media Contact
People coming across your press release must have a responsible and genuine way to contact your organization if they need to know more details. Using details of some reception staff in the media contact might risk the communication link. So it is better to put details of that person in the media contact who can handle such queries effectively.
9. Proper Selection of Distribution Partner
You have finally made the press release but if it doesn’t land on authority sites, then the entire task will be a waste. Most generic PR sites don’t even rank on Google, so it doesn’t matter if your PR appears on 100’s of such sites. Aim for reputed platforms like Market Watch, Associated Press, Yahoo News to ensure that your press release actually gets seen.
