Winning Tips

If you would like to enter a case study for an award, make sure you read these winning tips first which tell you what the judges are looking for and how best to present your project.

What the judges are looking for?

To win the Prosper-Riley Smith Award 2010 judges are looking for entries that demonstrate how effective research has made a real difference to business understanding and decision-making. Effectiveness can be demonstrated via one or more of the following criteria, which have been developed in accordance with the judges themselves:

• Having the Qualitative X Factor
  adopting an inspiring and absolutely befitting approach to explore an issue in a way no other research approach or discipline would have allowed.

• Delivering true and lasting insight
  convincing learning that casts new light on consumers and needs, shared in an accessible, vivid and memorable way to live beyond the research.

• Being super commercial
  an economical approach to make invaluable research possible and/or an approach that goes beyond insight to help clients understand more about how they can capitalise on unmet needs.

• New level of client participation
  engaging clients in qualitative research in a way they haven’t before to gearshift understanding and/or qualitative buy in.

• Superb handling of client challenges
  successfully delivering controversial/difficult feedback or making a challenge that steers a new course of action and works for the greater good of qualitative research.

• Uplift in commercial metrics or performance
  demonstration that qualitative research has played a clear and significant role in improving measures of performance (e.g. colleague satisfaction, brand metrics, sales data)

Two important points to note

• It is NOT necessary to demonstrate uplift in commercial measures or performance to win this award. A case for effectiveness can be based on any of the 6 criteria, alone or in combination.

• The judges advise those considering entering to think back to projects that are now complete to allow effectiveness to be shared in its full glory. Some past case studies have been submitted too early, while projects are still running, and this makes it very difficult for the judges to determine their effectiveness.

How to write a winner

Tell an engaging story and make it absolutely clear how your approach has made a real difference to business understanding and decision-making. Think about:

• The business context and objectives: What was the problem or challenge your client was facing and why did they need qualitative research?

• Your approach and its suitability: What approach did you select and what made it so befitting?

• All the effectiveness you’ve delivered: How has your approach been effective and made a real difference to your client’s business?

Remember all the practical stuff

• Stick to the overall word limit

• Put the weight of your paper behind demonstrating your effectiveness - if you don't demonstrate your effectiveness, your paper won't win

• Tell your story clearly, concisely and in an engaging way to stand out

• Do all the small important stuff: on time, spelling, grammar, enclose the fee, get your client to approve it. (NB: We will of course be sensitive to issues of confidentiality, hence cases from January 2005 onwards are eligible)

• Download entry forms at www.aqr.org.uk/prsaward