Apply For The Damn Award
How many articles have you written but not published? How many awards have you not applied for? How many times have you thought "I should start that podcast" and then... didn't?
This is a more personal post than I typically share. I’ll be back to regularly scheduled retail media trends tomorrow 😄
How many articles have you written but not published? How many awards have you not applied for? How many times have you thought "I should start that podcast" and then... didn't?
I'm asking because I was just named a 2026 Top Retail Voice by the National Retail Federation (NRF) —one of 50 people recognized—and my immediate reaction was to wonder if sharing it would make people think I'm full of myself.
After pushing ‘publish’ on 143 articles this year alone, I still feel that bit of imposter syndrome at least 50% of the time! So let's talk about that.
Tall Poppy Syndrome
There is a concept in Australia and New Zealand called the tall poppy syndrome. This refers to people with notable public success or achievements that are ostracised by others as a form of egalitarianism. Intense scrutiny and criticism of such a person is termed as "cutting down the tall poppy".
Its a phenomenon that’s surely not limited to Australia and NZ.
But tall poppy syndrome holds a vast number of promising people back. It represents the fear of other people’s opinions: FOPO.
For me, I have been creating content online for more than 10 years: videos, podcasts, blogs, writing for other publications, doing presentations etc. You’d think it would get easier. But here’s the truth, back when I started my company blog in 2015, no-one was reading it, and no-one knew who I was. I had literally nothing to lose.
Over time, that audience has grown, and sometimes when I look at who is reading my stuff these days, I feel a bit of a pang in my gut — the FOPO. Don’t ruin it now, people are watching! Don’t say something stupid!
I tell you this because I hear from so many brilliant people, with important ideas and experiences to share with the world, that they would love to start a newsletter, or they would love to start a podcast. And I understand why they back down from putting themselves out there, ironically this seems to happen just when they start to become more visible professionally. They now have more to lose.
Mirakl Ads is the only retail media solution designed for both 1P & 3P marketplace brands. Why does that matter?
Marketplace sellers demand a seamless advertiser experience that still offers full-funnel ad formats. And retailers need a flexible solution that allows you to scale your media business.
Industry Awards: Standing Naked And Afraid In Front Of Your Peers
Awards are on a whole other level of FOPO.
Firstly, you have to apply yourself or ask someone to nominate you. This requires saying to yourself, “I think I’m doing a great job and I deserve this,” which is something that’s uncomfortable for a lot of people.
Secondly, if you are selected for the award, now you have to own it and share it, which can be awkward because you don’t want everyone to think that you think you’re all that.
The truth is, I do sometimes see some pushback online when a program with a huge number of award recipients is announced. “Seems like everyone’s getting an ‘X’ award these days,” “Must have a great PR team,” etc. What trollop, and how sad to resort to minimizing others to feel better about oneself. Just because you were recognized alongside a larger group of people, or you are in a fortunate position to have a PR team at this moment, does not diminish what it took you to get there.
If you have FOPO, I see you. And I hate to say it, but at least for me, there has been no way around it — only to get up and charge right through it. So publish the damn article. Apply for the damn award.
My Advice
- Apply for the damn award.
- Ask a colleague or a partner to nominate you for an award. I have received these requests over the years and I’m typically thrilled to do this. What an easy and fun way to sow some future karma!
- If you’re a solution provider, offer to nominate your clients for an award. They will remember this forever, I promise.
- If you’re fortunate enough to have a PR team, ask for their help.
- Feel the FOPO, do it anyway.
A Tiny Thing To Help You
I have compiled a living database of awards relevant to the retail media industry, with dates, rules, and how to apply. You can access it here.
The database is open-source: if you work for a company that hosts industry awards which are relevant for people & companies in the retail media & ecommerce space, please feel free to add your award (or update any out-of-date info I have here!)
Good luck, I'm cheering for you!
PS – tomorrow I am doing a livestream on LinkedIn with Pentaleap Cofounder & CEO Andreas Reiffen on Real Time Bidding – the advertising technology that some claim will finally democratize retail media. But not everyone's a believer...
Whether you're a retail media seller or buyer, you will leave smarter about this capability and how its introduction to the ecosystem will shape it.
Be sure to tune in live to get your questions answered in real-time! 10:30AM Wednesday November 5th, register here
