To win the favor of the ISPO Global Design Award jury, you need these 5 TIPS

The “ISPO Global Design Award” (ISPO Award), as the only authoritative product selection in the global sports industry, aims to help the industry identify the most groundbreaking sports products in terms of technology, design, and performance for the next year.

Today, we are honored to invite two insiders from the jury to explain in detail with us the “best timing for sports brands to apply for the award” and the “best methods to succeed.”

Each year, the organizing committee receives over 500 product applications for the award. As the saying goes, “details determine success or failure,” so let’s take a look at how to manage these details.

“For every employee in a company, winning an award seems as essential as the oxygen we breathe daily,” said Stefan Ytterborn, founder of POC. “It awakens the cells of enthusiasm for work deep within each employee.”

With its own-designed products such as helmets and protective gear, POC has won multiple industry awards. Perhaps this is also related to Ytterborn’s role as founder—he understands better what the company and its employees need.

Currently, Ytterborn retains only a seat on the POC board. Having witnessed the company’s continuous growth, for him, the ultimate result is the passion in his heart.Winning an award not only brings more confidence and courage to oneself but also makes the entire team more dynamic and motivated.

Furthermore,being recognized by an independent jury is the most direct form of marketing. “You don’t have to brag about yourself—let others do it for you,” he said.

5 TIPS to Win the Favor of the Jury

Due to POC’s outstanding achievements in many awards, ISPO specially invitedYtterbornthem to participate in the ISPO Academy to share their experience face-to-face with everyone. At that time, the topic of his speech was “How to Stand Out in the ISPO Global Design Award?” In addition to Ytterborn, we also invitedMr. Martin Willners, a senior judge, editor-in-chief of the Swedish sports newspaper Sportfack, and a product tester.

Through exclusive interviews with these two insiders, we have summarizedthe following 5 Tips to help participating brands win the ISPO Global Design Award:

1. The philosophy conveyed by the brand itself

“The core reason why POC has won various awards is that we have established a clear corporate purpose and philosophy,” said Ytterborn. The purpose of entering the competition isto showcase the company’s philosophy to the public and actively communicate the reasons for developing a certain product. For example, POC’s philosophy is: prevent injuries, cherish life—you need strong protective gear to keep you safe.

2. Innovation is an essential element for winning

“Don’t choose ordinary products to enter,” Willners said. For him, selecting which products to enter is crucial. “The newest and most innovativeproducts are what truly qualify to enter.Technology, materials, design styles, and sustainabilityare all areas where innovation can be demonstrated.

3. The product description must be concise and powerful

For example, in a sales scenario, a concise introduction that strikes a chord with consumers in a short time is what quickly wins their hearts. "Who? What? When? Why? How is it used?" Willners explained. "For instance, when creating a product video for evaluation, these are the questions we want answered right away through the video."

With over 500 products to be evaluated by judges within just two days, almost all judges share a similar sentiment. Once they come across a product description that gets straight to the point, they all instinctively give that product extra points in their minds, and the judges are happy to seeconcise product descriptions. Of course,humorous and highly individualistic descriptive stylesalso particularly catch the eye, Willner told us.

4. Keep Your Promises

Here, Ytterborn has some advice for all applying brands"It's essential to keep your promises—ensure that the advertised performance matches the actual performance."If a brand makes exaggerated claims, even if the initial promotional impact is achieved, the discovery of any discrepancy between reality and promotion in the future can be fatally damaging to the brand itself.

5. Attention from the CEO and Key Management Is Crucial for Selection

As ISPO Academy explicitly states:When participating in an award, it is vital to have the attention of the CEO and key management.High-level attention not only boosts the brand’s motivation to participate but also gives designers great confidence.

"Of course, every participating brand aims to win," Willners said. But with attention, even if the final outcome isn't ideal, the company can still benefit from the entire evaluation process. Because for any business, innovation is its core competitiveness.