The following are criteria for each of the categories for the BBB Torch Awards program – Buzz Award for Social Media Excellence, Marketplace Excellence, Advancing Marketplace Trust, Consumer Leadership and Green Award. Criteria are designed to provide flexibility to nominees in best describing and supporting their business’s activities. Criteria also allow for flexibility in evaluation, leaving room for subjective consideration, rather than a judging process purely driven by statistical analysis.
Please note that application for the Torch Awards 2011 is now closed. Please visit again, call Susan Hooper, Events and Communication, at 604.681.0312 (ext.316) or email Susanh@mbc.bbb.org for more information about Torch Awards 2012. Thank you for your interest.
Category – Buzz Award for Social Media Excellence
(Open to public nomination)
The Buzz Award for Social Media Excellence gives businesses the opportunity to show off their social media expertise. This award is not only about who can get the most followers, write the most Tweets, or have the zaniest videos. The Buzz Award is given to a business who can demonstrate how they use social media to engage and educate their customers, using social media in an original and dynamic way.
Awarding Criteria
Please keep the entry to 1000 words or less, and provide hyperlinks to content, or websites for judges to evaluate.
Strategy
Define the goal of your social media strategy, describing your audience, and what your goal or planned outcomes are with social media. Explain what types of social media you have used. Common examples are, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, online classifieds (ex. Yelp), and social bookmarking sites (ex. DIGG). Estimate a percentage of time you put into social media in comparison to other marketing for your company.
Creativity
Demonstrate to us how you have innovated, or created something that original in your social media campaign. This creativity can be linked to how you used social media, created new and unique content, or how you used social media differently than competitors in your industry.
Outcomes
This is where you can describe the tangible results that came from your social media campaign. This can be quantitative results like percentage of new sales, reduction of customer service issues, and number of registrants. You can also describe qualitative results like customer comments, new partnerships, and new products.
Education and Ethics
How have you helped your customers or network through social media? We encourage you to share how you use social media to educate the public and respond to customer service issues. Please give clear examples of how you taken on an issue and provided solution(s) for a person(s). Did you have a customer complaint? Or do you go online and provide free advice to people through your blog? Let us know how you interact with your audience and respond to issues. Show us how you put ethics first in your social media responding.
Eligibility
- The Buzz Award for Social Media Excellence is open to non-profit and for-profit businesses. Charities will not be eligible for consideration.
- Applications can accepted based on public and self-nomination.
- This award will be given out to one business for its outstanding use of social media.
- The award will be determined by an independent panel of judges.
- The deadline for applications is Friday, July 29, 2011 at 4pm.
Category – Marketplace Excellence
(Open to public nomination)
A business should demonstrate its superior commitment to exceptional standards that benefit its customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and surrounding communities. The business must provide supporting documentation in four areas for consideration in the Marketplace Excellence category. While examples from all four areas must be provided, the bullet points below are only suggestions and not all bullet points are required to be addressed in order for a business to compete in this category.
1.) Management Practices
Note: Owners of companies with no employees must explain how a personal commitment to exceptional standards is applied in business practices.
Pertinent sections from an employee handbook, business manual or training program (formal or informal) showing how the business’ commitment to exceptional standards are communicated to and implemented by employees
A vision, mission or core values statement describing the business’s commitment to exceptional standards that benefit its customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and surrounding communities
Formal training and/or procedures used to address concerns an employee may have in dealing with ethical issues
Management practices and policies that foster positive employee relations
Employee benefits and/or work place practices contributing to the quality of family life
Actions taken to assess and mitigate risks, and prevent workplace injury
Examples of sound environmental practices
Examples of operational practices focused on security and privacy issues – on and offline
Illustrations of your business’s commitment to standards that build trust in the marketplace (i.e. customer service program, employee relation policy or practice, vendor/supplier relationship, etc.)
2.) Community/Investor/Stakeholder Relations
Examples of the business’s vision, mission and/or core values statement in action – describing how the business’s beliefs have been leveraged for the benefit of consumers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and surrounding communities
Business policies and practices that demonstrate accountability and responsibility to communities, investors and other stakeholder audiences
Corporate governance practices address accountability and responsibility to shareholders
Complimentary feedback from customers, vendors, suppliers and /or community leaders
Actions taken by the business demonstrating service "beyond the call of duty"
Brief case study examples of circumstances in which the business made tough decisions that had negative short-term consequences, but created long-term value and benefits
Examples of, and results produced by pro bono work
Examples of the business working closely within the community and making a positive social impact – and any recognition for charitable and/or community service projects.
3.) Communications and Marketing Practices
Descriptions of methods the business uses to ensure all sales, promotional materials and advertisements are truthful and accurate
Sales training policies and/or codes of ethics used by sales personnel that ensure all transactions are made in a transparent, honest manner
Crisis communications efforts and associated marketing actions that educated audiences, prevented negative outcomes and restored trust and confidence in the business, its products and services
Examples of internal communications practices benefiting employees and contributing to overall business effectiveness and efficiency
4.) Industry Reputation
Media coverage reflecting the business’s industry and community reputation as a trustworthy business
Awards, recognition and/or complimentary letters from within the business’s industry, trade group or community
Eligibility
- The Marketplace Excellence Award is open to non-profit and for-profit businesses. Charities will not be eligible for consideration.
- Applications can be accepted based on public and self-nomination.
- The award will be determined by an independent panel of judges.
- The deadline for applications is Friday, July 29, 2011 at 4pm
Category – Advancing Marketplace Trust
(Closed to public nomination)
To be considered for the BBB Torch Awards in the category of Advancing Marketplace Trust, a business must have set significant new standards of excellence impacting trust in the marketplace through innovative voluntary actions, programs, or sustainment activities. A selection committee will nominate companies that have:
Developed a new product or service
Improved the quality of existing products or services
Developed entirely new markets
Changed the choices people have or make
Elevated standards for its industry or developed marketplace standards crossing all industries
Worked closely within its community to make a positive social impact
The business must have been in business for at least five years and must be financially sound and fiscally responsible. Each program, service or initiative being judged must have been completed by the organization within the past two years or be an ongoing project.
Category – Consumer Leadership
(Closed to public nomination)
To be considered for the BBB Torch Awards in the category of Consumer Leadership, an individual must be a leader who has significantly advanced marketplace trust through consumer advocacy, protection or education, through a specific action or lifetime achievement. A selection committee will nominate individuals who:
Lead or have led national or industry efforts focused on consumer advocacy, consumer protection or consumer education
Is a recognized industry expert
Embodies the following core attributes:
- Leader – initiated and served as the catalyst for change on behalf of consumers
- Builder – created the foundation for change (an initiative, a marketplace movement, a change in advertising, new operational standards, customer service programs, etc.)
- Mobilizer – brought together a consortium, team or coalition of industry leaders or groups
- Unifier – lead an assembled consortium to focused change that specifically benefited consumers
Green Award
(Open to public nomination)
The BC Ethics in Action Society partners with the Better Business Bureau for the 2011 Green Award at the Torch Awards.
This year the Green Award expands its definition of “green” to include social purpose businesses along with environmentally sustainable practices.
The hybridization of social and environmental mission with business is a growing trend in business. These are businesses that are blend financial success with a strong commitment to positive social and environmental outcomes. Social benefits include business practices that help revitalize neighbourhoods, create opportunities for marginalized groups, or otherwise strengthen and support community economic and social development. Positive environmental outcomes go beyond basic office recycling programs to minimize or mitigate pollution, waste, or carbon footprint associated with the business products, services and operations. Some businesses even find ways to generate impacts that benefit our environment and natural resources.
Position Statement
On a separate piece of paper provide a brief statement describing your company’s position regarding integrity and ethical practices in your business. If your company has adopted a formal policy, mission statement, or other corporate document relating to ethical standards and practices, please attach a copy.
Environmental Commitment
A business must demonstrate leadership and innovation in minimizing the business’s impact on the environment and/or caring for the environment. Please provide no more than three (3) examples, and summarize the examples on a separate piece of paper (two 8.5x11 inch pages maximum or 400 words maximum). A business must provide support concerning its impacts on the environment in which it operates, as shown by resource use, pollution control, land use, biodiversity, remediation, regulatory compliance and environmental impact of products or services. The examples can also include involvement of people inside and outside the business in environmental stewardship.
and/or
Community Benefits
A business must show its commitment to positive social change in relationship to the communities in which they operate. On a separate sheet of paper the individual must provide no more than three (3) examples of demonstrated impact on the communities in which they operate as shown by volunteering, community engagement and support, and/or initiatives support marginalized groups and charitable organizations (two 8.5x11 inch pages maximum or 400 words maximum).
Eligibility
- The Green Award is open to non-profit and for-profit businesses. Charities will not be eligible for consideration.
- Applications can be accepted based on public and self-nomination.
- The award will be determined by an independent panel of judges.
- The deadline for applications is Friday, July 29, 2011 at 4pm
Application for the Torch Awards 2011 is now closed. Please visit again, call Susan Hooper, Events and Communication, at 604.681.0312 (ext.316) or email Susanh@mbc.bbb.org for more information about Torch Awards 2012. Thank you for your interest.
For event partnership opportunities, please call Joanna Li, Manager, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, at 604.488.8702 or email Joanna@mbc.bbb.org.