The UNIVATOR: Because Awards Matter

ONLINE ENTRY FORM.... available here

“Awards are nice, but they don’t really add to my bottom line. Why should I enter this, or any other, competition?”

It’s a question that some may be asking as they consider entering this year’s UNIVATOR Awards, a program that honors the best in product design, customer service, use of technology and marketing and public relations techniques sponsored annually by UniformMarket.

For those on the fence, consider the following. Unlike other competitions, UNIVATOR casts the spotlight where it truly belongs – on you, the country’s most innovative creators and distributors of uniform products and services. Winning entries appear online in the January edition of UniformMarket, and are featured prominently in the Spring/Summer issue of Made to Measure magazine, giving your company both national and international exposure. And exposure, as any public relations executive would tell you, often leads to increased opportunity.

Beyond that, the UNIVATOR, and awards in general, gives you something that may be difficult to get on your own, no matter how good the product or service – credibility.

“The award provided us with validation from an objective third party,” says Steve Gilkeson, whose company, Perfection Uniforms, won an award last year for the launch of its Matrix product line. “We’re a small, but growing company, and any validation helps to grow our customer base.” Perfection used the results as a marketing tool, posting its success on its website and advertising the award in its catalog. “Do customers read every detail about the win? No, but they read enough to learn that we’re considered industry innovators, and that helps the relationship,” adds Gilkeson.

Larger companies, too, realize the benefits of awards programs and use the results to their advantage. Cintas Canada, who last year took home a UNIVATOR for strategic program design, issued a news release to various media outlets, and included an announcement on its website.

Why all the fuss? Because awards matter. They are a testament to your hard work, and justification for your efforts. They inspire others, and take your company, and the uniform industry, to new heights. In short, they earn you the recognition you deserve.

Awards matters because everyone loves a winner, including your customers. Could winning a UNIVATOR increase your bottom line? “It could, but only if you do something with it,” says Gilkeson.

What does it take to win a UNIVATOR? What do we look for? Listed below are a few examples:

Product Innovation - have you launched a product which has taken the industry or a specific market segment by storm? Have you breathed life into a tired, old product, effectively making it new again? Have you taken an existing product, introduced it into a non-traditional market, thereby growing the business for all?

Website Design and E-commerce – have you recently redesigned your website, making it truly user-friendly? Has the addition of e-commerce capabilities added to your bottom line? Have you used online technology in a new or unusual way to grow your business?

Customer Service – These days, customer not only expect competitive prices, but they also demand outstanding customer service? How do you service the customer? Have you produced programs that not only retain customers, but bring in new ones?

Crisis Management – Has your company recently undergone a crisis which was effectively resolved? Have you turned bad publicity around, or have you fought off attacks about a particular product or practice?

Marketing and Public Relations - Do you have marketing or public relations program by which you measure success? Have you produced an in-store campaign which has driven sales? Do you have a holiday or other targeted marketing campaign which has worked well? How have your marketing efforts benefited your customers, the industry and your company?

Program Design and Implementation – Have you produced an end user program which reinforces the brand or takes the market in a new direction? Have you enhanced your customers’ image by creating a suitable, identifiable look? Have you brought non-traditional wearers into the uniform marketplace?

Are you UNIVATOR worthy? To find out, simply complete the entry form, send the supporting materials back to UniformMarket via email or traditional mail.

Deadline for Entries: Friday, November 30, 2007

Remember, all winners will appear in the January online edition of UniformMarket and the Spring/Summer print edition of Made to Measure Magazine.

Don’t just create. UNIVATE. Send us your entries today!

Questions? Contact Jackie at Jackie@uniformmarket.com

ONLINE ENTRY FORM.... available here