I would agree they are a marketing tool but much can depend on the award itself. If it is self-congratulatory say for being the top dealer amongst a group of dealers it really means nothing to anyone outside of that group.

If however, it is a public recognition of where a real difference has been made, then that carries a lot more weight.

Equally, the body and method that makes the award should carry some weight. In the UK there are the FLTA awards where the public vote and the highest wins. This is better than a bunch of cronies sitting in a room and dishing out awards to their pals.

All in all however - it is just another spin on PR