7 intranet awards to have on your radar in 2021

Whether you hope to highlight your wellbeing initiative or get the gold for crisis comms, there are award categories for every intranet software use case. Some of the top competitions to consider include:

Gartner Communication Awards

Gartner’s awards are designed to showcase the great work of communicators who have achieved tangible results for their organization.

3 reasons to enter:

1. As a leading research and advisory company, a nod from Gartner offers winners serious credibility
2. Past winners include esteemed brands and recognizable names such as Experian, Aetna, Nationwide, and Southwest Airlines
3. A live online event gives applicants the opportunity to come together to network and celebrate communications excellence

Categories to consider:

• Excellence in Employee Engagement
• Lean Team of the Year 
• Excellence in Change Communication

Deadline: Apr 10, 2021

Inspiring Workplace Awards

The Inspiring Workplace Awards provide a platform to recognize great places to work and the roles within. Whether it’s driving excellence through wellbeing, EX, culture change, diversity, innovation, technology, brand, leadership, communications, or the overall organization itself, there is a category for everyone.

3 reasons to enter:

1. Unily collaborations have a solid track record; in 2020, Commonwealth Care Alliance took home top honors in the Inspiring Experience category
2. A win from the Inspiring Workplace Awards signifies an ongoing commitment to best practices surrounding workplace experience
3. Winners are spotlighted at a virtual event

Categories to consider:

• Inspiring Culture
• Inspiring Use of Technology
• Inspiring Reward & Recognition

Our most recent winners:

Last year, Commonwealth Care Alliance beat out a host of noteworthy competitors to take home the gold in the Inspiring Experience category. The nonprofit healthcare organization utilizes their intranet to provide compassionate, human-centered care experiences to the more than 35k members they treat.

Deadline: Mar 24, 2021

Nielsen Norman Awards

One of the most prestigious intranet awards, Nielsen Norman Group has studied the evolution of digital workplace platforms for the last two decades, with a specific focus on user experience.

3 reasons to enter:

1. Intranets created in collaboration with Unily have earned top honors six times within the last nine years
2. Nielsen Norman selects ten top intranets annually and reviews entries from all around the world
3. Winners are spotlighted in a design annual produced by Nielsen Norman, an esteemed name in the world of UX research and consulting

Our most recent winners:

In 2020, leading health solutions provider Dynacare was chosen as one of the world's ten best intranets by the User Experience experts at Nielsen Norman. Dynacare leverages their collaboration-focused intranet to provide an unparalleled standard of care to the more than 11m Canadians they serve.

Ragan Awards

Ragan and PR Daily programs celebrate the most successful campaigns, initiatives and teams in communication, PR, and marketing industries. With over 20 different programs annually, there’s bound to be a category that aligns with your specific intranet use case.

3 reasons to enter:

1. Several Unily clients have earned top honors, including Trivallis, The Specialist Works, Micron, and more
2. There is a diverse selection of programs, including Top Women in Communications, Content Marketing Awards, Employee Communications Awards, and many more
3. Winners receive a plaque to commemorate their victory

Categories to consider:

• Amazing Workplace Culture
• Employee Recognition
• Intranet Launch or Relaunch

Our latest winners:

In 2020, two of our clients earned top honors at Ragan's Employee Communications Awards. Trivallis's wellbeing hub secured their gold medal status in the Employee Engagement category and Celanese was recognized for their best-in-class launch.

The Institute of Internal Communications Awards

As the only professional body dedicated to internal communications in the UK, The Institute of Internal Communications has been defining standards for more than 70 years.

3 reasons to enter:

1. A panel of esteemed judges review entries and offer feedback to further your organization’s internal comms strategy. 
2. Applicants have the opportunity to enter 36 different awards across 6 categories  
3. Earn recognition for your internal comms approach, which can be beneficial for securing future buy-in

Categories to consider:

• Internal Communicator of the Year
• Best In-House Team

DWG Digital Workplace of the Year

The Digital Workplace of the Year Awards are produced by Digital Workplace Group and Simpler Media Group, the publisher of CMSWire.

3 reasons to enter:

1. Submissions give your organization the opportunity to share your platform with peers and gain industry recognition
2. Winners are announced at Digital Workplace Experience, a virtual conference dedicated to employee experience
3. Past winners and finalists include Vodafone, American Express, Ferrero Group, and Ikea

Categories to consider:

• Digital Workplace of the Year
• Digital Workplace Leader of the Year

Constellation SuperNova Awards

The Constellation SuperNova Awards celebrate the teams who have overcome the odds to successfully apply emerging technology for their organizations. Judges are looking for disruptive technology implementation stories that emphasize business model transformation and solid metrics.

3 reasons to enter:

1. Earn distinction as a pioneer for employee experience
2. A nod from Constellation Research demonstrates your organization’s ongoing commitment to innovation 
3. Network with industry leaders at a virtual conference

Categories to consider:

• Future of Work-Employee Experience

Step Two Intranet & Digital Workplace Awards

Step Two's annual awards showcase outstanding contributions to the fields of intranets and digital workplaces. The awards uncover remarkable solutions that deliver business value, shining a light on the talented teams behind this work.

3 reasons to enter:

1. Earn a trophy that your team can proudly display
2. Get featured in Step Two's annual report
3. Receive invitations to speak at conferences and expand your network

Categories to consider:

• Digital employee experience and digital workplace
• Mastering disruptive change
• Intranet essentials

Deadline: Mar 26, 2021

What does it take to earn top honors?

How can you ensure that your entry stands out amongst a stack of submissions? Of course, a next-generation solution that is expertly designed to fulfill your organization's unique use cases is non-negotiable. However, it takes more than a superior intranet to win gold. To beat out the competition, you must expertly convey your platform vision, the details of your design and launch, and the pay-offs your organization has achieved as a result.

Compelling entries weave these details together to form a cohesive narrative that traces your intranet journey from your initial vision to launch day and beyond. To take your submission to the next level, supplement your written application with screenshots that illustrate what sets your platform apart and how your users leverage your intranet. Include quotes from senior leadership, employee testimonials, and engagement and adoption statistics to demonstrate the impact your intranet has had.

Get on the fast track to the podium with Unily

Does your intranet have what it takes to beat out the competition and earn your team a gold medal win? If you're looking to launch an award-winning employee experience platform and demonstrate the value of your solution by earning a title, get in touch with our digital workplace experts.