Why it's worth entering industry awards

Spa PR consultant Juliet Wheater says entering industry awards does far more than boost your spa's profile. 

Have you recently refurbished your spa? Are you working with a new product house or perhaps you’ve introduced new treatments? Do you have a fantastic spa director at the helm that you’d like to shout about?
Industry awards should be an important part of any business, as the positive PR generated from an award win provides increased credibility.

Some spas that I work with are often worried that they won’t win, but this would be far from a failure; even the data collection exercises and thought processes that go into entering awards can build invaluable experiences for spas and their staff. 

And of course entering and subsequently winning ultimately sets your spa apart from the competition, providing great content for both short and long-term PR messages. This additional press coverage can be used for both internal and external publicity, and generally speaking the organisers of the spa awards also provide good PR support for winners.

The award logo can be displayed on your spa’s website homepage with a big visibility push across social media platforms. If you were to win, distribute details of the award win and images of your spa and the awards ceremony to all industry and local press. You could even create an online competition to celebrate the win and encourage clients and potential guests to share in your success.

 Here are a few other reasons why it’s worth entering spa industry awards:

• Gain knowledge 

The research and evidence-based compilation of putting together an awards entry will offer a greater understanding of your business’s key performance areas. It can also highlight where improvements need to be made.

• Establish a niche or USP

By thinking carefully about which category you should enter you can create your spa’s niche and spend time understanding what makes your business unique.

• Elevate your brand profile

Awards raise brand visibility and the credibility of your spa and its staff, products and facilities simultaneously.

• Attract quality staff

Reputable, esteemed awards can draw quality staff applications and help with talent retention, instilling a sense of team pride that often leads to increased productivity. 

• Increase customer loyalty

Award wins increase customer awareness, recognition and credibility for your business, which in turn adds to client trust and loyalty, thus driving sales. 

• Networking

Awards ceremonies are an opportunity to meet new business prospects and renew old acquaintances, regardless of being shortlisted or winning. Reward staff with a ticket to the event so they can meet industry peers.

 

Juliet Wheater is co-founder Scarlett PR, a UK-based PR agency that specialises in luxury lifestyle brands, spa and wellness retreats and hotels and villas, including WSW Awards winner Galgorm Resort & Spa. She was been in the PR industry for all of her working life.