The True Value of Awards

At the root of all awards lies competition. Competition builds character and an award has little value if there is only one nominee. Something has little worth if it has not been won through competition since the act of competing has been humanities way of realising potential for eons. Economists will state that competition is necessary for productive and effective markets and award programmes provide an important platform for social comparison as they allow for the victor to rise above the rest in a fair competition.

Although part of human nature is to root for the underdog, the masses will still gravitate to the winners. Those who have achieved the most accolades are aspirational; they teach us how to persevere in the face of adversity and make the most of what they have. For many, winning an award is just a step in the right direction as a quantifiable measure of success. Jane Henderson reflected on the following, from her experience in the B2B awards industry, ‘Importantly for us at AI, is that it is not just about the heavyweights, part of our philosophy is to lift the lid on the booming SME market globally; we are regularly stunned at their innovations and accomplishments.’

In some instances, it may lead to promotions, in many instances it will help to attract new customers and will assist in the recruitment of the most talented potential colleagues – after all winners attract winners. We need only look at which sports organisations attract the most talented sporting personalities for affirmation of this fact.

Ultimately, Awards which are fair are necessary in achieving social validation for an entity or individual. They are intrinsic to the development of skills and the cultivation of self-worth and it is not just the nominees who get something from the process, as is evident from another of Jane’s remarks, ‘The AI team is passionate about highlighting success and we love working with nominees across a broad range of sectors. It is a truly rewarding business to be in and we take huge enjoyment in awarding businesses via our suite of industry-specific brands.’

Should a business, or person, wish to promote themselves, awards are an excellent medium to use in such endeavours and will assist in attracting the attention from the most desirable of candidates.

As the saying goes, ‘to the victor belong the spoils’.