Business

Saturday July 21, 2012

Expert tips for winning award

By NG BEI SHAN
beishan@thestar.com.my


Petaling Jaya: Good documentation and professionalism will help businesses stand out in the evaluation process for awards such as the Star Business Awards (SOBA), said a branding expert.

Branding Association of Malaysia president Eric Chong said that applicants should put some effort into their submissions to draw the attention judges during the selection process.

Chong was speaking at SOBA Helpdesk which answered queries from interested participants and provided tips for preparing a proper application.

He said submissions should be comprehensive yet concise.

Chong: ‘Participants should make some effort to ensure that the compilation of documents is presentable. The more time judges spend on your submission, the more advantage you have over your competitors.’

“A serious submission must have some content. Participants should make some effort to ensure that the compilation of documents is presentable,” he said. “The more time judges spend on your submission, the more advantage you have over your competitors.”

SOBA is awarded to companies in various sub-categories. Companies can participate in multiple categories.

“You should participate in the categories that you are confident in to maintain the credibility of your organisation,” he said.

Winners of the award get more than RM1mil worth of advertising space and airtime.

There are eight categories for the top-of-the-class awards: Best Use of ICT, Best Marketing Strategy, Best Brand, Best in Corporate Social Responsibility, Best Green Initiative, Best Employer, Best Innovation and Best Global Market.

Additionally, there are three awards for outstanding achievement: Rising Star, Entrepreneur of the Year and Malaysian Business of the Year.

“All the categories are open for submission except for Malaysian Business of the Year, which will be selected based on nomination by the judges,” he said.

Judges could understand the company better when comprehensive information was available for the evaluation process, Chong said.

He encouraged companies to participate in the business award as judging criteria was based on the potential of the business and not solely on the size or profitability of an organisation.

“This is a platform for small medium enterprises to grow further. Participants can leverage on this platform to gauge their strengths while standing a chance to gain recognition,” he added.

He emphasised that the award has a transparent framework. “All judges are independent of each other, represented by various organisations,” he said.

The inaugural SOBA in 2010 drew 84 entries, and 115 companies took part the following year. This year, the number of entries is expected to exceed 150.

Victor Choo, the chief operation officer of a security and safety company, said he was interested in the award because it could boost the company's branding through creating awareness among public.

And restaurant operations manager Dev Ananth said he would use the platform to take his business to a higher level.

BDO executive director Elaine Hong and Star Publications (M) Bhd manager of events communications Linda Sharini were also at SOBA Helpdesk to answer queries from participants.

Exim Bank is the presenter of SOBA. The award is supported by Bursa Malaysia and audited by BDO. Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur is the official hotel partner. Red Tomato is the official Chinese newspaper, while 988FM and RedFM are the official radio stations.

The closing date for applications is Aug 17, 2012.

For more information on SOBA and ways to submit an entry, visit www.soba.com.my or call 03-7967 1388 ext 1244/1237/1475.

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