As a phrase, ‘award-winning’ has become so ubiquitous that now it almost works like an adjective: “try our award-winning barbeque sauce,” or “our award-winning customer service is second to none.”

When everyone claims to have an ‘award-winning’ product or service, the phrase holds about as much water as a ‘World’s Greatest Grandpa’ coffee mug. It’s like claiming to have been at Woodstock. Even if you are a bona-fide winner, there are so many other people stretching the true meaning of the phrase (‘to have won an award’) that claiming it for yourself is sure to raise some eyebrows—especially if you make the claim without an actual award to hang on your wall.

That being said, how do you cash in on your bragging rights if you happen to come away from this winter’s ShowSouth with an armload of Addys?
Here’s some tips:

Avoid Verbal Gymnastics
You may have won a blue ribbon at the county fair for the brussel sprouts you grew in your high school home economics class. Congratulations. Technically, that is an ‘award,’ but that doesn’t make you an ‘award-winning director.’ The awards you tout should refer to a specific talent, product or service.

Win an Award
This is the toughest step, but it’ll keep you honest. As implied above, there are a lot of people throwing the term ‘award-winning’ around. Promise yourself that you won’t use the phrase until you actually win an award. It’ll give you something to work toward.

List Individual Awards
Let’s face it, ‘1991 Division Champions’ sounds much better than ‘The Award-Winning Atlanta Braves.’ Listing individual awards may take up more copy space, but the weight of each award will make up for any pithy copy you can come up with about your “process” or “vision.”

The only problem with listing individual awards is, to have the best effect, you should also list the years you won the awards. Most awards have a pretty long shelf life, but you’ll want to continue winning if you want to impress people continually.

Display Your Awards with Minimal Fanfare
A shelf full of awards tastefully displayed in a prominent place gives the impression that… yeah, you get recognition, but… you’re more focused on the work. The effect is much more humble than building a shrine to yourself that all visitors must kneel to upon entering your doors.

Winning Isn’t Everything… or is it?
Remember, awards have currency, no matter how casually they’re displayed. They’re a calling card that tell everyone—from your competitors to potential clients—that you know what you’re doing, and you’re good at doing it. Those can be difficult claims to make in a field like advertising, where terms like “good” can be subjective, but they’re important to a potential advertiser who wants to see results from the considerable chunk of money they’re about to sink into a campaign. There’s nothing like validation from a jury of your peers to make your agency stand out among the rest—and to justify higher rates.

Of course, winning awards isn’t easy, especially if you’re a small agency or a loose cannon working on your own. Most of us will have the stars of right talent, right project and right judges align only on special occasions throughout our entire careers. That’s why large agencies with fresh new talent, large creative teams and plum projects take home the lion’s share of the awards, but that doesn’t mean you can’t storm ShowSouth yourself one day—even if you’re a little guy.

Go to ShowSouth
If you really want to win an Addy, you should buy a ticket to ShowSouth. Now. After all, it’s hard to do the limbo if you don’t know where the bar is set. Seeing the amazing talent on display will either inspire or intimidate you. In any case, you’ll be treated to a great show, you’ll get a clear idea of how Atlanta’s creative landscape is laid out and you can begin making your strategy for next year.

Choose a Project
We know you do a great job on every project, but winning an award may take a little extra effort, and the right kind of client. If you’re determined to win an award, pick a project during the year that you’ll devote a little more time, effort and resources to. Then give it 110%.

Keep it Simple
Whether it’s print or broadcast, it’s much easier to pull off simple concepts than elaborate extravaganzas, especially when your resources are limited. Most ShowSouth judges know what goes into a spot, so most appreciate well-executed ideas that efficiently represent solid thinking. Spend time upfront developing your concept and let the cleverness and creativity of your idea work for you.

Enter ShowSouth
ShowSouth is a lot like the lottery—you can’t win if you don’t play. A lot of great projects over the years have missed their opportunity to earn their creators an Addy, because nobody took the time to enter the project for consideration. If you’re proud of what you’ve done, by all means, enter it into the program. Whether you win or not, you deserve to get the recognition you deserve for a job well done.