Time Is Running Out: Inside the Making of the RAV Awards - Affiverse
By Emma Roberts

Time Is Running Out: Inside the Making of the RAV Awards

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July 2, 2025 Affiliate Marketing, Industry News, Interviews
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RAV AWARDS

As the Affiverse RAV Awards prepare to debut at ELEVATE Summit 2025, there’s a fascinating story behind their creation that goes beyond typical industry recognition. These aren’t mass-produced trophies—they’re individually handcrafted pieces that reflect a commitment to sustainability and meaningful recognition. To understand what makes these awards special, we spoke with the artisan responsible for bringing them to life.

Meet Claire Whiles, owner of Precision Engraving in Weymouth and the creative force behind these distinctive handcrafted awards, to understand how sustainability and craftsmanship are converging to create recognition that truly lasts…

The Vision Behind Sustainable Recognition

Q: Welcome Claire, tell us about yourself?

“My name is Claire Whiles and I’m the owner of Precision Engraving in the UK and we have been honoured to be creating these really special awards for Affiverse, so we’re really delighted to do that and I’m really pleased to be invited to talk to you about those awards.”

Q: Was there anything that stood out to you about Lee-Ann’s vision for creating the RAV Awards, in particular?

“I think what stood out to me most was the passion that Lee-Ann had for the industry. She wanted these awards to really show how she felt, the value of people, and for them to feel appreciated, the fact that it is something that is free so that anybody can actually take part in the awards. She just had this really lovely energy and a passion for what she did and I think that kind of rubs off as well and it makes you really excited about creating something.”

Crafting Awards That Reflect Industry Values

Q: How did you feel creating the design of this unique award for the Affiliate Marketing industry?

“Everything we do, if we’re making something that’s individual for a company, obviously makes you very proud. But these particular awards really hold a special place in my heart because we’ve talked at length with Lee-Ann about the concept and the value of them and the fact that, you know, people will be able to keep these forever. They are a sustainable award and they’re to value everybody. With Lee-Ann we’ve kind of worked through stage-by-stage because often with creative developments, they’ll start with something and then they evolve over time, which is wonderful because you’ll start with an idea and then you say, how about if we just do this and we just do that? And then in the end, when you come out with something that’s really lovely and everybody’s happy. It’s just fantastic and I really, really hope that the recipients of these will be so pleased to receive them.”

Q: Claire, how did Lee-Ann’s brief drive your creative direction to create this year’s hand crafted and sustainable RAV awards?

“I think that when Lee-Ann told me about it, it’s to value the people that perhaps go a little bit unnoticed by the five-pointed star and the elongated part of the five-pointed star. So that’s kind of showing that every single person is of value. Everybody contributes something in an industry. It’s really nice that these awards are going to honour that, if you like. People should be really proud to receive something that rewards every little step along the way, because everything in a company, everything that everybody does contributes to the end result. My personal opinion is nobody is more important than anyone else because you’re all contributing something to reach the end goal.”

Embedding Sustainability Into Recognition

Q: Affiverse recently received its EcoVadis sustainability certification. Tell us how you’ve embedded our sustainable lead business ethic into our RAV Award Design concept?

“So, it’s sustainable Sapele wood. We only use sustainable wood because I’m absolutely passionate about things being eco-friendly and renewable, as is Lee-Ann. Sapele is also a beautiful, rich African wood which speaks to Lee-Ann’s South African Heritage. So it has a kind of energy all of its own, if you like. The fact that it’s weighted symbolises, if you like, the value of the award. You know, it’s not something flimsy that somebody’s going to put on their shelf and a few years down the line, it’s not going to look as good as it does now. It will always look good. It will always be a reminder of what you’ve achieved, should you win one of these awards. It’s something that’s solid and reliable and visually appealing; something that has got an integral value to it, because they are quite weighty awards, and they’re all handmade and totally unique. So, we’ve put all our love and attention into creating the awards.”

Setting New Standards for Industry Excellence

Q: You’ve worked on many other corporate design projects, how did this project compare to others you’ve created?

“To compare this with other projects that we’ve done, we always work very closely with whoever is asking us to design for them. I think the thing that stands out here is Lee-Ann herself in the fact that she has been so passionate about what she wants and it being something to reward people for what they’ve done. I know all awards are for that, but Lee-Ann has been so passionate from the start about this being not only beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, but of value and something people will look back on in years to come and think, yes, I achieved that. That’s so lovely. It shows that she has such an interest in people and bringing the best out in people and helping to reward them for the best that they do.”

Q: What does showcasing excellence mean to you? Especially when it comes to handcrafted lasting artistic designed pieces like this?

“Showcasing excellence is really, really important to us. We are very particular about what we do. It has to be right. If something isn’t right, then back to the drawing board, restart, jiggle it around. Does that look right? Is that the right shape? Is that the right form? Is this right? Does it feel right? If people are going to win something, they deserve something that has taken time and trouble and we have put all the care into it to make it right because they’re achieving something and I want them to feel really valued. This is totally unique and nobody else will have anything like this.”

Final Call for Entries

The Affiverse RAV Awards entry deadline has been extended to Sunday 6th July at midnight.

Know a rising affiliate, influencer, or content creator crushing it in performance? Nominate them (or yourself!) for the Affiliate Start-Up award at #RAVAwards.

Let’s help them get seen.