How newsworthy is producing widgets well or servicing clients' needs? Not very. It's expected of any business. So what's the best way to attract attention for the good work you do every day? Garner recognition by participating in the 2018 Vision Systems Design Innovators Awards program.
As a former marketer and PR pro I contend being ranked among a select group of companies or winning awards may be more beneficial to your company than being featured in the news.
Why? First, compare the marketing usefulness of a dated reprint with an award. While the former may have resulted from a journalist's need to fill space, the latter carries with it the credibility of a respected judging panel, and quantitatively puts you above the competition.
Next, you can tout the recognition all year long, making it a great investment with fantastic ROI. The $495 early bird rate amortized over the whole year is just $1.36 per day. Probably less than you would spend on a daily cup of coffee.
Four tips to win
- Give yourself plenty of time. Rushing through the awards submission process decreases your chances of winning. Start on or before November 21. You'll save $100 with the early-bird discount on the admission's fee and have plenty of time to finish.
- Use specific, quantitative and instantly credible language. Avoid the urge to just copy and paste the text from your marketing collateral or website.
- Be sure to answer the following questions about your product, service or technology: What problem does it solve? What's really new and innovative about it? What's the enabling technology? Why hasn't anyone done this before?
- Get input from the technical/engineering team at your company and provide specific examples on how the development impacts designers, systems integrators or end users.
Please keep in mind that submissions are evaluated for: originality, innovation, impact on designers, systems integrators, end users, fulfilling a need in the market that hasn't been addressed, leveraging a novel technology, and increasing productivity
I want to make sure you have the information you need to submit an entry (or two or three). Submissions are due on December 19. Full program details, including instructions for submission, can be found at vision-systems.com/innovators-awards.html. Please don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or (603) 891-9130 if you have any questions.
The awards will be presented in April 2018 at The Vision Show in Boston. I look forward to your participation in this program which has swiftly become an important initiative that encourages and recognizes advances in the machine vision marketplace.
