How to Come Up With Wording for Awards
Struggling with wording for your awards? Can’t figure out what to say?
From my years of experience in the awards industry, I have learned that choosing the award is often the easy part. What comes next, coming up with wording for your awards, is what many people struggle with. If you’re looking for some helpful tips for figuring out what to say on your awards, look no further. I’ll cover the key points for wording below!
In your wording for awards, first consider: What is the focus of the award? Why are you giving it out?
It’s important to first consider why you’re recognizing the recipient of your award. This will naturally guide the rest of the copy. If you’re giving this award for longevity, aka “years of service”, the words you use will be different than if you’re recognizing a certain accomplishment like hitting a sales goal or acquiring a new client. If you’re giving the award in appreciation of a donation, you will want to make that clear so as not to leave the purpose of the award ambiguous. Simply put, anyone looking at the award should know why it was given.
Here are a few examples of phrasing for different recognition occasions:
Purpose: An award is being given to recognize longevity with your company.
Starting point: In appreciation for your years of dedication
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This makes it clear that the award is being given for years of service. What are you doing? Showing appreciation. For what? Years of dedication.
It’s really that simple. Here’s another example:
Purpose: This award is being given to recognize an achievement in sales.
Starting point: In recognition of your outstanding accomplishment
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Again, we want to address what the person did and include a statement of why we are recognizing this achievement, right at the beginning of the copy. This can be elaborated on with subsequent phrases.
Here’s an example of phrasing for a gifting or donor acknowledgement situation:
Purpose: A gift to be presented to a top donor
Starting point: Thank you for your incredible contribution!
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When we think of award copy as answering a question, the words flow easily. The question is, what are you recognizing, and what sentiment would you like to get across with your award?
The wording for your awards should include data if relevant
Generally, you’ll base the award around a specific point of data. Using the examples above, we can elaborate on the main purpose of the award using this information. This will not only fill space on the award, it will narrow the focus even further so that there is no doubt as to what the award was given for. See below for the evolving copy of the three situations we explored before.
Purpose: An award is being given to recognize longevity with your company.
Evolving copy:
In appreciation for your 10 years of dedication.
Glassical Designs thanks you for a decade of outstanding service!
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As you can see, with supporting details, the copy gets meatier and more sincere.
Purpose: This award is being given to recognize an achievement in sales.
Evolving copy:
In recognition of your outstanding accomplishment.
$1,000,000 in sales
1500 deals closed
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For sales awards, it’s helpful to list out the achievements as it makes for an impressive award to display in the recipient’s office. At this point, it’s not just a pretty bauble for their desk, it’s a billboard of their specific wins that anyone can read plainly.
Revisiting the donor gift, we might want to include what it is that they sponsored or what they made possible with their donation. You do not have to add how much they’ve donated since that might come across as tacky. We can allude to their contribution and the gravity of their gifts without spelling it out completely.
Purpose: A gift to be presented to a top donor
Evolving copy:
Thank you for your incredible contribution!
Founding member of the Western Colorado Pika Awareness Group
Your generosity has made our mission possible!
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Now that we’ve nailed down our purpose and the details, we can focus on including the essentials.
Your award copy should answer: Who are we giving this to and when?
We’ll need to, of course, include the recipient’s name as that’s really the most important feature of an award. Generally, this will be the largest line of text. We’ll want to include the date in our wording for awards as well. This is something a lot of people overlook and it’s an important detail, too– your recipient will want to remember when they were recognized!
Once we add these bits of information, we’ll have well-rounded copy that will get the point across elegantly!
Purpose: An award is being given to recognize longevity with your company.
Final copy:
Kelsey Stringham
2020
In appreciation for your 10 years of dedication.
Glassical Designs thanks you for a decade of outstanding service!
Purpose: This award is being given to recognize an achievement in sales.
Final copy:
Courtney Owen
In recognition of your outstanding accomplishment.
$1,000,000 in sales
1500 deals closed
2020
Purpose: A gift to be presented to a top donor
Final copy:
Thank you for your incredible contribution!
Ana Duran
Founding member of the Western Colorado Pika Awareness Group
January 15th, 2020
Your generosity has made our mission possible!
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To sum it up, coming up with wording for awards may intimidate you, but if you break it down into a couple of simple ideas, great copy will follow. If you make sure to include the three elements I’ve listed above, your wording will be easy to follow and effective at getting your point across.
Still stumped? Reach out today and our awards experts will be happy to help!
