There’s a secret to becoming an award-winning brand in 2026, but it’s not what you might think…
It’s not just about having the best product, or having the biggest campaign, or the best customer or employee experience…
The brands that consistently win the awards they enter, don’t react to deadlines. Instead, they plan with intention, strategically and way in advance.
And it’s that exact preparation that makes them prolific winners.
Why the Most Award-Winning Brands Don’t Wait for a Deadline
You might think you can throw together an award entry on a weekend, or in the evening after your day-to-day work, and, of course, lots do.
But those aren’t the brands that go on to win consistently. So what if you could increase your chances of winning just by being more strategic?
Most awards programmes don’t happen overnight. They typically follow a 6–12 month cycle, from the opening date to announcing the final results at the ceremony. Giving entrants plenty of time to enter.
Here’s the reality:
If you’re writing your award entry at midnight on a Thursday before a Friday deadline, your chances of winning are low.
That last-minute entry often leads to a story that’s weak, rushed, and misses the mark. Worse still, rushed entries often have no clear link between what’s being said and what the judges are looking for, and miss vital evidence… Not because you aren’t awards-worthy, but because you haven’t had the time to dissect, understand and really answer every criteria point, and collate the evidence needed to back it all up for maximum points.
What the Best Brands Are Doing Right Now
The brands who will be the most prolific award winners in 2026 will already be taking action.
Here’s what they’re doing, and what you can start doing today too:
- Setting clear awards goals that align with this year’s business priorities
- Mapping out the entry period of relevant awards, and their deadlines, for the next 6–12 months
- Choosing the award categories that will highlight strengths, innovations, or impact
- Identifying the key campaigns, or case studies to showcase in each entry
These businesses aren’t just “trying their luck” when it comes to entering business awards, what they’re doing is using awards as part of their broader strategy. And by doing that, they are getting the most value from their awards, building their reputation, winning customer trust, and opening doors to growth.
And we know this approach works, because this is the exact process we take our clients through year-on-year, and led to our industry-leading 88% shortlisting rate, and 69% win rate in 2025.
The Main Advantages of Getting Started Early
It’s not only that taking a strategic approach will increase your chances of winning, getting started early also makes the entire award entry process smoother, less stressful and more enjoyable. Here’s how;
Gathering Proof and Stories While There's Still Time
To have a strong chance of winning, you need to be able to provide solid evidence of impact alongside your story, think data, results, feedback, and testimonials. Your evidence might also need to include compelling case studies and real stories that show how your business made a difference.
To gather your evidence, you need to be able to speak to the right people, gather the data, and you might even need to design graphs and charts to visually showcase the results. But all of this takes time.
By knowing which awards you are entering in advance, and knowing the criteria you need to meet, this means you can give yourself plenty of time to;
- Plan ahead for campaign wrap-ups and the data needed
- Secure permission from key stakeholders to share case studies
- Interview clients or customers for quotes
- Gather performance data over a specified timescale
- Build visual assets to support your entry
If you want to avoid searching for screenshots, stats, or forgotten feedback when the deadline is looming, plan the evidence you need in advance, save it in one place, so that you can craft a story that scores high points.
Working Backwards From the Moment You Win
Imagine this…
You’re standing on stage at an awards ceremony having your winners’ picture taken with your team. Or maybe your CEO is holding a trophy in a press photo. Or your product is being shared as the best in its category by a panel of expert judges.
Now ask yourself: What needs to happen between now and then to achieve that?
Then, adopt a award-winner’s mindset: Start with the moment you want to win, and work backwards.
From that point, you can map each and every milestone between the entry period being open, and the ceremony. That might include;
- When do you need case studies ready?
- When do you need internal approvals signed off?
- When do you need to brief writers or designers?
- When do you need to book tickets to the ceremony?
- When do you need to have marketing messaging ready to share your win?
This is how award-winning brands avoid last-minute panic, they prepare in advance and are ready to get the most out of every step of the process.
Make 2026 the Year You Win with Purpose
Awards aren’t about luck. They’re about strategy.
When you plan your awards goals around your business goals, you will start to see a real return on effort. You’re not just taking a punt and chasing a logo for your website, you’re intentionally building a reputation that can bring in clients, partners, and top-tier talent.
So if you want to win in 2026, don’t wait for the ‘1 week to go’ reminder email to get started. Build your strategy now, map out your key milestones, gather your proof, and give yourself the very best chance of winning.
Need help to get started?
If you’re curious about how we could help you to win, why not book a free discovery awards call with our team.
We can help with identifying the awards you should go for, building a compelling awards story, and gathering and creating the assets you’ll need, all fully managed by our team.
Or if you’re ready to start building your own awards strategy, why not complete our short quiz and generate a free list of awards you could be entering, click here to get started.
