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 product 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 in being selected."
Each year, the organizing committee receives over 500 product applications for the award. As the saying goes, "the devil is in the details." Let’s take a look at how to master these details.
"For every employee in a company, winning an award seems as essential as the oxygen we breathe every day," 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 numerous industry awards. Perhaps this is also related to Ytterborn’s identity as the 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 outcome is the passion burning within.Winning an award not only brings more confidence and courage to oneself but also makes the entire team more vibrant and driven.
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 invitedYtterbornto participate in the ISPO Academy (ISPO Academy) to share their firsthand experience face-to-face. 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 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 received various awards is that we have established a clear corporate purpose and philosophy," said Ytterborn. The purpose of entering the award 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 mediocre products to enter the award," Willners said. For him, selecting which products to enter is crucial. "The newest, the most innovative—that’s what the entered products truly need to have. Whether it’s in technology, materials, design style, or sustainability—these are all aspects where innovation can be demonstrated.
3. The product description must be concise and impactful
For example, in a sales scenario, concise introductions that hit home quickly can swiftly win over consumers' hearts. "Who? What? When? Why? How to use?" Willners explained. "For instance, when creating product videos for evaluation, these are the questions we want answered right away through the video."
With over 500 products needing to be evaluated by judges within just two days, nearly all of them share a similar sentiment. Once they come across a product description that gets straight to the point, they invariably give that product extra points in their minds. Judges appreciate seeingconcise product descriptions. Of course,humorous and highly individualistic descriptive stylesalso particularly catch the eye, Willner told us.
4. Keeping Promises
Here, Ytterborn has a word of 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 empty claims, even if it achieves good promotional results initially, the discovery of a disconnect between reality and marketing in the future can be fatally damaging to the brand.
5. Attention from CEOs and Key Management Is Also Crucial for Selection
As ISPO Academy explicitly points out:To participate in any award, there must be attention from the CEO and key management.High-level attention not only boosts the brand’s enthusiasm for participation but also gives designers great confidence.
"Of course, every participating brand’s goal is to win," Willners said. But with attention, even if the final outcome isn't ideal, the company can still benefit from the entire application process. Because for any business, innovation is its core competitiveness.