CEO of FOREFRONT presented in SOBA helpdesk session

Kumararajah: "You have a fighting chance to win the awards if you approach these judging criteria systematically."

KUALA LUMPUR: In order to win this year’s Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA), judges have urged companies to submit compelling stories that will prove their relevance as an award winning entry.

In SOBA’s helpdesk session, past judge Datuk Dr A.T. Kumararajah stressed that participants would be evaluated based on 3Cs – content, context and container.

“Content is the story of your business, context is how you do your business differently from others and container is how you package your response for each application for an award category.

“Tell us why you should win the award, give us your marketing story and its relevance to the category of awards you are eyeing to win,” he explained.

In no more than 10 A4-sized pages, Kumararajah said it is important for companies to include their business initiatives, how they are executed and its effectiveness on bottom lines.

“You have a fighting chance to win the awards if you approach these judging criteria systematically,” he added.

There are 10 award categories that participants can apply.

This year, a new category – Best Use of Technology Award – was also introduced.

To make it easier for judges to evaluate submissions, SOBA auditor BDO Malaysia executive director of advisory Mok Chew Yin advised participants to follow the guidelines and provide more information to support their claims for a winning entry.

“Participants must put themselves in the judges’ shoes. They must highlight what they are doing differently than others (in that category).

“You must follow the guidelines, address and respond to it. Provide more information to make it easier for judges to evaluate whether you are the right candidate to win the award or not,” he said.

Also present was Forefront International chief executive officer Darien Mah, who shared on the company’s experience in participating in SOBA in the last few years.

Mah gave some tips to the participants, emphasising the importance of “proof of effectiveness of initiatives” as well as “good photos” in an application.

“As opposed to words, good photos will help the judges understand clearly and gravitate them towards your application,” he said.

Deadline for entries is Oct 19, 2018.