I love this time of year. Not only do I get to celebrate the holidays with family and friends, it’s also the time when everyone is making Top 10 lists of things that happened throughout the year and giving their prognostications about what they think the future entails. I love reading the summaries of the things I may have missed and checking out the predictions of forward-thinking people.
Reading through all the great year-end commentary got me thinking, “There should be some sort of award handed out to the people who predict trends that actually come to fruition.” After awhile, I think we would see several people touting multi-year wins and others remaining noticeably devoid of recognition. Let’s be honest. Anyone can spout off some predictions. It takes true forward thinking to be able to see into the future and actually get it right.
Perhaps an award already exists for these list-building visionaries, but what I do know is that, when it comes to marketing, there are awards for people who are visionaries in their field: The Markie Awards. People who win Markie Awards are able to take stock of what their current organization is doing, see where they need to head in order to get to the next level and implement like crazy to get there. These are the folks who understand that when you leverage technology and creativity, you really can move the needle on business goals. Markie Award winners understand that a modern marketing team is the lifeblood of successful revenue growth within their organization.
And, with the end-of-the-year distractions that affect all of us, it’s important to remember that the Markie Awards will be fast upon us. The submission period has already begun and will run until January 16, 2015. Even though your focus might be elsewhere, you don’t want to miss your chance to throw your name into the running for these important awards.
In an attempt to convince you that it’s worth carving out a few hours to get your submission in, I’ve listed my Top 5 Reasons to submit for a Markie Award:
1. Respect
People who are nominated for a Markie Award are the best of the best. These are the folks who others look to as leaders in the marketing space. The innovative work being done by Markie Award winners is the kind of visionary work that pushes our industry to new levels. Submit for a Markie Award to start earning the respect your hard work warrants.
2. Focus
I’m not going to sugar coat it. Applying for a Markie Award is going to take you some time. You have to think back over what you’ve done in the past year, pick the programs that have made a true difference to your organization, dig through your data to be able to show results, tell a compelling story, and then fill out the application. It will take a little bit of time to pull all this together. However, in simply doing the exercise, it will force you to think through what you’re doing, how you measure outcomes, and what you could have done better. Even if you don’t win, the exercise will help you be a better marketer in the future.
3. Inspire
After the nominees are announced, Oracle Eloqua posts a summary of all the amazing work being done by the nominees. I love reading through each category to learn how others are solving complex problems. Every year, I pick up several points I’ve never thought of before. When you submit for a Markie Award, you get to share your creative problem solving with your peers across the entire industry. It’s a great feeling to know that your solution could help someone solve a problem!
4. Advancement
People who win Markie Awards don’t stay put in their careers. The skills it takes to win a Markie are the same kinds of skills that lead to promotions. It also doesn’t hurt to have a major industry award on your resume when you’re looking for a new position.
5. Party
If you are nominated for a Markie Award, you get a free pass to the Modern Marketing Experience and VIP treatment while you’re there. Where is “there” you ask? Well, Las Vegas! The city built around having fun. There will also be great food, outstanding speakers, drinks, networking, concerts, and so much more. People who win Markies get treated like celebrities…and they should! This is an elite group of folks who are at the bleeding edge of the marketing world.
Hopefully I’ve given you something to think about as you consider whether or not you should submit for a Markie Award. In my opinion, your decision should be “yes.” What have you got to lose?
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About the Author: Relationship One
