Awards are free pitching in disguise, says Renee. Panels of future clients see your best work, top talent takes notice, and your agency’s name travels further than any media budget. Treat awards like a client: plan, resource, and measure.
It's a question that echoes through creative agencies every awards season: if awards don't directly generate revenue, why do we invest so much time, energy, and resources chasing them? The late It’s a question that echoes through creative studios every awards season: if awards don’t directly bring in revenue, why do we pour so much time, energy and precious sleep into chasing them? The late nights, the weekend work, the general exhaustion that comes with prepping entries — it can feel like a lot when you’re already stretched thinner than a cat’s patience during bath time. Yet year after year, agencies throw their hat in the ring for another cycle of awards.
Renee Hyde knows this tension well. She’s responsible for client and agency leadership at Howatson+Company, and she’s steered big, integrated clients both here and overseas. She’s seen the work, the wins and the weariness. But she also knows there’s more to awards than shiny trophies gathering dust on a shelf.
Renee doesn’t see awards as vanity projects. She sees them for what they can be when done right: smart investments in your business’s future.
"For us it's the best new business tool we have as an agency," she explains. The value isn’t just in the winning — it’s in the exposure that comes from showing up and being seen.
"For the local award shows Mumbrella B&T News, you get to present essentially to clients if you're shortlisted to eight clients on every panel. It's essentially a day of free pitching," Renee says. Suddenly, that expensive entry fee looks a lot more like a day of new business meetings — except someone else organised them for you.
The results speak for themselves. "Often after an award day of judging the phone will ring, you know, for the next month or so."
Awards also help attract the kind of creative minds you want in your corner. It’s not about bragging rights — it’s about showing people your studio backs creativity and recognises brilliant work.
"It's also the best way to employ top tier particularly creative and design talent," Renee points out. In an industry where great talent has plenty of options, that matters.
"For them to be hired in other places beyond here – not that I ever want that to happen – it's really important to attract brilliant talent to demonstrate that we believe in creativity as well," she adds. Awards aren’t just for clients, they’re for your people too.
These days, it’s not a given that your work will get seen by the industry at large. Traditional coverage has thinned out, and the media landscape is so fragmented that good work can slip under the radar.
"There's such a fragmentation of media that sometimes agency work isn't seen unless in award shows and therefore it kind of is surfaced to the industry and to clients," Renee explains. Sometimes awards are the only spotlight left.
And the game keeps changing. New categories pop up as the industry evolves.
"There are all sorts of awards. We're now entering AI awards as well which is just one more segment of awards that we've added to the list," Renee says. It’s proof that awards can adapt to celebrate new ideas and innovation, not just the usual suspects.
Of course, none of this matters if awards drain your people dry. The trick is to treat the awards process with the same care you’d give to any paying client.
"I would encourage you to be better processing how you manage your awards," Renee advises. At her agency, there’s one person whose job includes managing awards — so it’s not a mad scramble at the last minute.
"We have a single person that is responsible as part of their job description to manage the award process," she explains.
Good process means fewer all-nighters and less stress. It means planning ahead, budgeting time, and bringing in the right help when you need it.
"We invest in freelance edit resource specifically around that time so that we can have our best editors working on case study videos. We see it as a client."
They even have it all mapped out: "We know what's happening every year. We have a spreadsheet booking the resource exactly as you would designers, writers, business managers, lining up the clients as well."
When you handle awards like this — with care and clear boundaries — they earn their keep.
"It has a revenue impact from a new business perspective. So if we'd put that much energy and effort into a pitch, this is just as good," Renee says.
Of course, the real magic is in finding the balance. Awards can absolutely be worth the effort, but only if they don’t chew up your team’s wellbeing along the way. They should be part of your growth plan, not an afterthought that steals every spare minute.
Awards alone don’t pay the bills. But when you see them as a smart part of your bigger strategy — for growth, for talent, for credibility — they can help keep those bills paid in the long run. Just don’t forget to look after your people in the process. They’re the ones who make the work worth celebrating in the first place.
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Leads client partnerships at Howatson+Company with experience in global brands, media, CX & comms. Mentor, mental health first aider, industry leader & mum of two who loves sleep—when she gets it.
Psychologist with 13 years’ experience, developing Taking Up Space for women who people-please, focusing on emotional awareness & authentic living. Works with eHarmony Australia & major media.
Founder of Never Not Creative, CEO of Streamtime & co-chair of Mentally Healthy, driven to make the creative industry fairer & more human. Believes great work should never cost wellbeing.
