Best to take a look at people giving the awards, say PR practitioners

PETALING JAYA: Many local and international business awards with extravagant distinctions given to Malaysian companies and entrepreneurs are used for marketing and branding purposes.

While some of these awards, which are issued by reputable professional bodies, help the recipients grow their business, many others given out are worthless trophies, fit only for bragging rights.

Business consultant and public relations veteran Constance Westwood said there were many private organisations out to make money by issuing fancy titles, and their business was to “sell” these to unsuspecting recipients.

“These awards, which are not fake but worthless, do not come cheap. There is some form of payment, such as a nomination, sponsorship, membership or promotion fee, as well as payment for advertisements and royalties for the use of the titles,” she said.

“Many of the companies are unaware that the awards they got are worthless.”

She said the payment for such awards could be as little as RM5,000 or as high as tens of thousands of ringgit, depending on who the organisers were and where they were based.

A senior advertising practitioner, Tony Savarimuthu, said such recognitions should only come from professional bodies or reputable organisations that governed or were experts in the industry.

“Recipients should also look at the judging panel for the awards. The members must have some form of credibility and influence in a particular industry,” he said.

Savarimuthu said that while there was a requirement to pay the entry fee for being considered for an award, one should not be “arm-twisted” into paying anything more.

“If an organiser is out to make money, then the awards being given out would be questionable,” he said.

“Companies and individuals need to be wary of such awards and the organisation issuing them or they may end up a laughing stock.”