Public Relations (PR) is all about reputation - the result of what you do, what yo say and what others say about you. Entering credible Awards will help others to 1) get to know about you 2) get to understand you 3) make a decision about working with you. Choose carefully, enjoy the process and good luck!

1. Rachel Hargrave
Agency Director

2. What is PR?
Public Relations (PR) is all about reputation - the result of
what you do, what you say and what others say about
you.
PR is the discipline which looks after and nurtures your
reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and
support, influencing opinion and behaviour and ultimately
building your profile so people can make clear decisions
about, for instance, working with you.
PR is the planned and sustained effort to establish and
maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an
organisation and its chosen audience(s).

3. …And how do you ‘do’ PR?
It’s all about blending a clear strategy,
created to support your core campaign
objectives (what does success look like to
you?), with a creative approach that’s
measured to ensure positive results.
In short it’s all about story.
Powerful storytelling will make you
memorable, relatable and visible!

4. January February March April May
Website
Updates
Blog
Social Media
Press Packs
Press
Release(s)
Forward
Features
Awards
Exhibitions
Networking
Guest Lectures
Sponsorship
Cost
Results

5. Awards
1. (Credible) awards raise your profile
2. Are newsworthy with some being supported by
media which guarantees coverage (online and /
or offline)
3. Confirm that you are great at what you say you
are great at
4. Create content (and content is King!) which you
can run out across social media, newsletters,
blogs, press releases to other media
5. Offer face-to-face opportunities including the
ability to use the awards lunch / dinner to host
clients, potential clients etc.

6. Awards
• Best Business Awards (national)
• Enterprising Women Awards (regional)
• Leicester Mercury Business Awards
(local)

7. Awards
• Best Business Awards (national)
• www.bestbusinessawards.co.uk
• Entry Deadline 31st January 2017
• One of the UKs highest profile awards
• NOTE: there is a cost to entering this
one (£195 + VAT per category entered
or £150 + VAT per category when you
enter 3 or more categories)

8. Best Business Awards: Categories
• Best Marketing
• Best Innovation
• Best Employer
• Best Strategic Design / Creative
• Best Customer Focus
• Best Corporate Social Responsibility
• Best New Product / Service (less than 2 years old)
• Best Product / Service Range
• Best SME
• Best Large Business
• Best New Business
• Outstanding Personal Achievement
• Outstanding Entrepreneur and Outstanding Female Entrepreneur
• Outstanding Non-Executive Director

9. Awards
• Enterprising Women (regional)
• www.emc-dnl.co.uk or email
ew@emc-dnl.co.uk for the forms
• Entry deadline 8th January 2017
• NOTE: no cost to enter

10. Enterprising Women: Categories
• Business Woman of the Year
• Enterprising New Business Woman of the
Year
• Female Employee of the Year
• Team of the Year
• Community Champion of the Year
• Apprentice of the Year
• Inspirational Woman of the Year

11. Awards
• Leicester Mercury Business Awards
(local)
• www.leicestermercurybusinessawards.
co.uk
• Entry deadline 27th January 2017
• NOTE: no cost to enter

12. Leicester Mercury Business
Awards: Categories
• Company of the Year
• Small Business of the Year
• New Business of the Year
• Business Entrepreneur of the Year
• Services Award
• Sales and Marketing Award
• Retail Business of the Year
• Excellence in Science & Technology Award
• Apprentice Employer of the Year
• Creative Industries Business of the Year
• Excellence in Manufacturing Award
• International Trade Award
• Contribution to the Community Award
• Not-For-Profit Organisation Award

13. What You Need To Think About
• DON’T leave it to the day before to write your
entry (the IoD regional awards take me 3 hours
per entry when I am first writing an Award entry
for a client; that’s after I’ve gathered all the
information pertinent to the awards – so
another 30 – 60 mins there too!)
• If you are struggling ask a friend, colleague or
even a family member to tell you why you are
so good at X or what you did in Y. You can’t
afford to be modest but you don’t want to
come across as the ‘big I am’ – it’s a balance

14. What You Need To Think About
• Even if the award entry is online write it
offline and keep a copy;
• You may need to refer to it prior to an interview
with the judges
• You can use the information you’ve submitted
here on other Award applications (where
relevant) which will speed up the process the
next time around
• DO consider what you are going to send in
to support your Award application
(assuming there is an opportunity to do so)

15. Last Three Things To Think About
• Choose wisely and make it a planned part
of your marketing and PR activity
• Enjoy the process and learn from it
• Good luck!

16. Contacting RDZ PR Ltd
3 Barrow Road
Sileby
Leicestershire
LE12 7LW
T: 01509 813 913
Rachel Hargrave: Agency Director
M: 07976 806 578
E: rachel.hargrave@rdz-pr.co.uk