When an accomplishment doesn’t require much explanation, an off-the-shelf trophy, a participation award, a filler prize, or something given out without much thought works well. However, a generic trophy typically undervalues an accomplishment once it is tied to a particular season, milestone, or hard-won goal.
A personalized trophy fills this gap: instead of choosing from a shelf of identical options, it takes a standard trophy design and customizes it to what actually happened. The engraving is not the only thing that makes a difference. Instead of choosing from a pre-existing set of variations, shape, wording, finish, and material are selected to match the specific achievement. When a trophy is constructed in this manner, it usually remains on display for a lot longer than one that is identical to everything else.
Add a Personal Touch that Makes It Truly Special
Many would expect the most significant part of making a personalized trophy to be engraving someone’s name and date into a generic trophy. That is true to some extent, but many other critical factors should be considered during the trophy-making process before engraving any words.
Choosing a different base material is a simple way to add uniqueness before engraving. Choosing a top figure that reflects the sport or event is another simple way to make a trophy unique before any personalization. Unique wording for the accomplishment, rather than a generic phrase such as “top performer,” will make the person want to read it.
- Wording specific to the achievement, not a general phrase
- Material used for the base or plate to change the level of formality
- Figures unique to the actual event or sport
- Size relative to the importance of the achievement
All of these factors can determine where the trophy ends up after the awarding ceremony.
When Achievements Deserve More Than a Traditional Trophy
A custom-made trophy is used when a standard trophy doesn’t fit the purpose of a particular occasion. Specialized sports leagues with award categories that don’t match standard trophy designs, corporate events with unique branding needs, and organizations with achievements that cannot be categorized often face this problem. With a stock trophy, the achievement should fit the trophy, but a custom design does the opposite.
The need for custom design becomes obvious when the standard catalog runs out of options. A sports league celebrating a record, a corporation celebrating its anniversary, or a non-profit organization rewarding achievements not covered by any template needs a starting point different from “choose the closest match.”
The custom design provides several advantages that cannot be achieved using a catalog:
- Design that symbolizes the actual event or the achievement instead of the generic figure
- Corporate logos and branding built into the trophy design, not added afterwards.
- The use of materials and colors that match the visual identity of the organization
- A consistent design applied to all the tiers of the awards in the program
All this matters, especially for organizations that run recognition campaigns with multiple award categories at once, an annual gala, a multi-division sports league, or awards across all departments. Inconsistent design makes it look like the awards have been purchased from different vendors.
Key Details to Finalize Before Ordering Custom Trophy Pieces
Deciding to order a custom trophy is much smoother if you sort out a few points before the design stage. Skipping this step can lead to late deliveries or last-minute alterations, and you can avoid these issues before production begins.
Points worth verifying in advance:
- Final wording of every trophy, including names, positions, and dates, spelled correctly before the start of the design process
- The number of trophies required, as larger orders can prolong the production process
- If the trophy needs to match last year’s trophy in the same program
- Approximate budget, as the size and material used greatly influence the cost
A typo detected during proofing can be fixed quickly. The same typo, however, detected after engraving will require the trophy to be created from scratch, which may be the difference between delivering a trophy on time and not delivering it at all.
Make Every Achievement Worth Remembering with the Right Trophy
A trophy needs to represent something particular, a season, an anniversary or an achievement, and a generic choice will never have the same significance. Whether you personalize a single trophy or create a full set, every detail counts. The words used, the material, and even the shape itself can make a trophy treasured for all eternity or a mere piece of junk. At any level, one trophy or a hundred, the details will make the difference between a trophy that will be remembered and one that will be forgotten.
Awards A Plus handles every step, from initial wording and design to final proofreading and production, for individual trophies and award programs. If you have decided to order a custom trophy for a specific occasion, contact us now!