Get your message out!

Promoting the work of your business or organisation through awards schemes is time well spent. That’s the message from a recent collaboration between Effective Words and QA Research.

The York-based market research firm successfully fought off stiff competition from some of the most well-known UK research companies and walked away with the Public Policy/Social Research prize at the 2008 Market Research Society awards.

Creating the award submission

Companies entering the competition had to write a submission in two parts: a summary of 1500 words and a synopsis of 200. Three months before the competition deadline Mike Towers from Effective Words and senior staff at QA Research met to devise a plan of action.

Having decided what the submission needed to say, the team implemented the copywriting and editing plan. Mike Towers produced the first and second drafts before working with QA staff to hone the message.

An eye-catching and ultimately irresistible mixture of powerful copy and suitable images was successfully submitted well before the actual deadline.

Telling the media

Following the awards ceremony Effective Words produced press releases for the York Evening Press, The Northern Echo and the Business Desk (Yorkshire). Here is a published example:

Award press release

Effective Words also arranged for the researcher behind the project to appear on BBC Radio York to talk about the award.

This press activity could only take place because Effective Words stuck to some key press management principles:

• Talk to journalists to assess their level of interest in your story
• Write an interesting and informative press release
• Ensure the client sees the press release before you send it out
• Include a great photo wherever possible
• Build relationships with journalists and editors

Using your website for further information

QA also wanted to announce the award success on the company’s website. Since the copy for this site is produced and managed by Effective Words, we could quickly write and post a news announcement and a case study explaining the research. A new link for company e-mails was also created by Effective Words.

Web news announcement

Please contact Effective Words if you want to enter a competition in your industry or region and need help writing the submission or follow up press releases and website copy.

Call 01904 765522 or e-mail miketowers@effectivewords.co.uk