Symbol Creative Awards Evaluation Uncovered
At Symbol Creative Awards, we take evaluation seriously — it’s the backbone of ensuring every winner truly deserves their recognition. Here, we will lift the veil on how we uphold credibility through objectivity and transparency. And that’s what makes us different.
How we ensure objectivity
Ensuring every entry is judged fairly starts with a well-structured approach to evaluation. Here’s how we keep it objective.
Clearly defined criteria
Each Symbol Creative Awards category is evaluated against specific, carefully designed criteria with weighted scoring. Whether it’s about creativity or innovation, the rules are tailored to the unique specifics of the respective track, group, and category. This ensures judges have a clear framework and know exactly what to look for, leaving no room for ambiguity.
Entries judged on their own merit
Judges review each entry based only on its own merits, without making comparisons. If an entry meets the required score, it wins a Symbol Creative award. This ensures fairness, as a small-budget campaign isn't compared to a big-budget one — everyone competes within a fair scope. As a result, there can be multiple gold winners in a category or none at all if no entry reaches the required points.
Avoiding conflict of interest
We have set up strict rules to ensure fairness. All judges are required to agree to our terms and conditions before they can evaluate entries, ensuring there is no conflict of interest. Additionally, we manually review all participants to avoid assigning entries to judges who might be from the same organization or agency network.
This way, the Symbol Creative Awards judges evaluate only those entries where they can stay neutral, which helps maintain the integrity of the process.
No unintentional bias
And while conflict of interest refers to intentional bias, what about unintentional bias? One of the challenges in any awards program is ensuring a level playing field. To address potential variations in judging styles, we use a professional yet straightforward method called score normalization, courtesy of our partner Evalato awards management software. Essentially a math formula, it balances out any extremes in scoring — whether a judge tends to be strict or lenient — so no entry is unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged.
Judge comments to justify scores
Objectivity doesn’t end with scores. We ask judges to provide comments alongside their evaluations, explaining the reasoning behind their decisions. These comments give entrants a clear understanding of what worked well and what needs improvement, turning Symbol Creative Awards into a learning opportunity as well.
How we deliver transparency
At Symbol Creative Awards, we believe that both objectivity and transparency are important. Together, they build trust by being clear about our process. Here’s how transparency is incorporated into our evaluation process.
Fully public award criteria and points
From the very beginning, participants know exactly what they’re being judged on. We openly publish all awards criteria and scoring systems, ensuring there are no surprises. This information is also included in our free entry kit, giving participants further confidence in the fairness of the evaluation process.
Publication of entries
Once winners are announced, all entries are made public with accompanying media like images and videos. This transparency showcases the hard work, creativity, and innovation behind each submission.
Sharing detailed feedback
Judges’ feedback and scores are also shared openly after the winners are announced. This allows participants to understand what made the winners stand out and gain insights into how they can improve for the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are judges chosen for my entries?
We select judges based on their expertise and our conflict-of-interest rules. We match judges to categories where they can give fair and informed evaluations. This ensures that your work is reviewed by the right professionals.
What is score normalization?
Score normalization ensures a fair evaluation by adjusting for differences in judging styles. It takes into account whether a judge is strict or lenient, so all entries are judged fairly and without bias.
Will I get feedback on my entry?
Yes! Judges provide comments explaining their scores. We share this feedback publicly after the results are announced, helping the participants understand judges' decisions, and improve in the future.
Are the evaluation criteria available before I submit my entries?
Absolutely. We publish all the criteria and scoring details in advance, so you know exactly what judges are looking for before you submit your entries.
