Insider tips on awards and editorial coverage from Fast Company and Inc. Magazine

The keys to getting recognition.

Amanda Coffee is CEO of Coffee Communications and ex-Under Armour, PayPal and eBay.  

Fast Company and Inc. Magazine — both published by Mansueto Ventures — are among the most influential names in business journalism. Each runs high-profile recognition programs that can elevate brands, generate editorial coverage and connect leaders with valuable networks.

We spoke with Fast Company’s Executive Editor Amy Farley and Inc. Magazine’s Recognition Program Manager Sarah Lynch about what makes a submission stand out, the trends they’re watching, and how companies can get (and stay) on their radar.

For Fast Company, my personal favorite tip is to attend the opening night or closing party at their Innovation Festival in September in NYC. It’s a great opportunity to get face time with the full editorial team as they all attend and bonus you get to experience their live journalism. 

Hear directly from Farley and Lynch below.

Fast Company — Q&A with Executive Editor Amy Farley

Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, an award that recognizes firms advancing their industry, is currently open for applications. What tips do you have for comm leaders finalizing applications?

Most Innovative Companies is one of Fast Company’s most important editorial efforts, and the application is your chance to tell your company’s story directly to our editorial team. The strongest applications clearly highlight new innovations launched within the past year —  products, services, business strategies, and more — and include evidence of measurable impact, like revenue growth, user adoption or other KPIs that demonstrate success. Editors are especially interested in how innovations reflect or respond to bigger trends or societal shifts. A few additional tips:

• Most Innovative Companies is not a lifetime achievement award — we’re looking for fresh work.
• Embargoed or confidential info is welcome; just note clearly within the application that this information is not for publication.
• Strong narratives with clear data and broader context stand out.

Keep in mind: Even if a company isn’t selected as a Most Innovative honoree, applications often lead to other editorial coverage. Our team frequently identifies emerging trends and standout ideas here and pursues follow-up stories accordingly.

Do companies need to be covered in Fast Company previously to have a good shot at making Most Innovative?

Not at all. Prior Fast Company coverage has no bearing on selection. Every application is reviewed by our editorial team, which dedicates months to researching and evaluating submissions across dozens of sectors. Many companies chosen each year are first-time features. What matters most is a compelling, well-supported innovation story — whether or not you’ve been on our radar before.

What makes for a good feature story or even a cover story?

Fast Company’s features sit at the intersection of business and culture. While we cover new business strategies and ideas, we like to view them through the lens of people. We want to get to know the leaders within a company who are pursuing innovative products and policy decisions. And we want to understand how these pursuits are shaping consumer behavior and society more broadly. If you can send us a pitch that both spotlights a new innovation and highlights its larger implications, you’re in a good position! 

Inc. Magazine — Q&A with Recognition Program Manager Sarah Lynch

What advice do you offer founders for securing awards and media coverage?

Be willing to share the ups and downs. A cookie-cutter success story doesn’t give the true insight into what it takes to build a great business, provide an outstanding product or service, etc. — and for Inc., it doesn’t help us help other entrepreneurs and business owners, our readers, or translate to a compelling story. We of course want to hear about the successes, but how did you get there? 

What makes an editorial or awards pitch stand out to you? Can you share a story that surprised you? 

Founders are typically great at telling their shiny success stories. But I’m always interested in knowing more about the gritty behind-the-scenes story of achieving that success, navigating the many, many challenges that come with building a successful business. If we are going to profile a company, we will want to hear about the challenges they had to navigate on their way to the top – and what they figured out that changed their business for the better. For instance, an applicant for this year’s Female Founders program shared in her qualitative response about how her business lost most of their clients the prior year. Without laying anyone off, the team rallied, established a game plan for quickly bringing on new clients, and completed the year on track. This kind of behind-the-scenes story can feel vulnerable to share, but it’s a great story – and one that helps us understand the company, their resilience, and the takeaway for other entrepreneurs in our readership.  

What trends are you watching in entrepreneurship right now? 

Today’s entrepreneurs are building their businesses at such a fascinating, fast-changing time – and it’s compelling to see how each is responding to the challenges and opportunities at hand. For instance, are they embracing AI, building their own AI tools or strategizing how to compete with AI? In terms of tariffs, are they rethinking their supply chain strategies? Are they seeking new partners or domestic opportunities? Or are they holding steady? These themes came up again and again with the companies on this year’s recently released Inc. 5000 list and have been doggedly covered by my colleagues – and I’ll be continuing to watch closely, as well. 

Which overlooked sectors deserve more attention? 

There’s obviously a ton of focus on artificial intelligence companies and newcomers in that sector right now – and rightly so! But I also continue to be interested in companies operating in the skilled trades and the ongoing demand for workers in those industries. What companies are successfully attracting new hires in these highly-sought-after roles? And what companies are helping train and place skilled workers at these companies?  

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