In a corporate world obsessed with rankings, awards, and seals of excellence, one question becomes increasingly necessary: does all this shine truly translate into a competitive edge? This narrative hides an important complexity: what methodology is applied behind these recognitions? What is their relevance to the market and the sector of operation? While they may indeed generate prestige and visibility, this entire purpose must also be taken into account, evaluating whether it’s worth investing time and effort in these applications.
Applying for awards and rankings happens for different strategic reasons, such as the pursuit of competitive advantage. After all, winning these seals sets the company apart from the competition, and when a brand is recognized as “the best” in its sector, it gains credibility and attracts the attention of customers, employees, partners, and investors.
This impact goes beyond visibility. Research from Weber Shandwick indicates that corporate reputation accounts for 63% of a company’s market value. In other words, reputation and recognition go hand in hand as real financial assets.
This translates into a more recognized and consolidated brand, improving its image and, consequently, its influence on the purchasing decisions of many consumers. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2024, as proof of this, 71% of customers choose to buy from companies they trust, with 69% recommending these brands and 42% even publicly defending them in crisis situations.
Awards and rankings, when serious and well-structured, act as catalysts for this trust. Not to mention their enormous power as marketing tools, leveraging these achievements to generate content, increase visibility, and build a winning narrative that highlights the company’s commitment to excellence.
Research from consultancies like Great Place to Work (GPTW), for example, reports that companies that stand out in people management rankings have clear advantages in terms of reducing turnover, attracting more talent, and increasing productivity.
All these benefits have driven exponential growth in rankings and awards available in the market today—but can all of them deliver these advantages?
Upon deeper analysis, it becomes clear that the awards and rankings with the greatest visibility and market value are those backed by a robust evaluation methodology. It’s not about granting seals just for image, but about recognizing companies that undergo a rigorous verification process, based on solid criteria that prove the relevance and real impact of their projects.
In this sense, many awards involve the participation of renowned institutions in the field, further elevating credibility and trust in the certification, creating a robust process that makes them truly valuable achievements worth investing in by companies. But not all follow this premise, dispensing with rigorous evaluation methodologies and becoming shallow awards with no strategic value to the sector.
So, before applying for any of these recognitions, it’s crucial to evaluate some points that should weigh in this decision. What is the purpose of this ranking: purely commercial, or does it have a greater objective? Does its purpose align with your business? Will winning it bring any kind of visibility to the brand? And most importantly, what legacy will it leave?
When these answers are positive for each objective, even if the company isn’t the grand winner, the mere act of participating can bring valuable insights that may translate into value creation—not to mention fostering strategic networking with institutions or professionals collaborating in the evaluation process.
And for organizations to leverage these seals for their growth, it’s essential to communicate them intelligently. Highlight the victory on the corporate website, announce it on social media, and strengthen internal culture by sharing with teams what this means for each professional and their efforts.
There’s no doubt that awards and rankings hold relevance in the market. The key point is to see them not as an end in themselves but as strategic assets capable of strengthening the brand, expanding the reputational capital of leadership, and positioning the company as a protagonist in its sector. This is how recognition stops being symbolic and becomes a real competitive advantage.
Elis Rosa is the Manager of the Inovativos Award.
