Last October, at the Master Builders Excellence in Housing Awards at Crown Palladium, host Stephen Curry announced Peter Apostoli, of Armadillo Homes, as the Master Builders Residential Builder of the Year. It was an abrupt surprise for Apostoli, a first-time participant in this, or any awards program; in photographs of Apostoli taken later that evening he wears a Mona Lisa smile, appearing simultaneously appreciative of, and stunned by, what had just happened to him.

Intrinsically, though, the receipt of an award is an exciting and delightful honour for recipient and giver alike. But what happens when the celebrations have ended? And, once the dust begins to settle on the trophy, has anything for the builder’s business actually changed for the better?

In short, yes. Depending on the builder, however, it may take some time. Both Apostoli and his wife/business partner Ann Marie are astute planners when it comes to crafting the public impression of Armadillo Homes, a small design-build operation. And with only a handful of weeks since the event, they’d scarcely had time to imagine ways to explore their success.

Eager to see award recipients reap genuine benefit from their time in the spotlight, this year Master Builders provided the Builder of the Year with a $15,000 advertising package including promotional banners for use at construction sites, and a series of radio ads on Fox FM. In January, Apostoli retrieved his own banners, which featured his company logo as well as full-colour images of three different Armadillo Homes projects.

“We’re focussing on figuring out the best ways to use the signage and radio spots,” Apostoli said. “The station has already made some good suggestions for what to say about ourselves, and that’s great, but the words aren’t quite there yet. We’ll work together to get them just right.”

Apostoli’s goal is to attract clients who are drawn to the full range of specialist services Armadillo offers, not just make himself busier with more queries. The freedom to customise the message of his new promotional tools gives him that ability.

“We want to make sure we get it right,” he explains. “My builder colleagues have told me that getting involved in the awards program is really the best kind of marketing tool.

“It’s pretty special when a client tells you they’re rapt with what you do, and I think it’s going to be a lot easier for new and potential clients to feel confident that we’ll produce the right job for them, knowing we’ve been recognised by Master Builders.

“This is big. I mean, I’ve always tried to do the right thing by the client, and the hard work and craftsmanship are their own rewards. But this is something extra.”