Frequently Asked Questions

Base Figure – What you achieved in the comparable prior period
Marketing Goal – What you budgeted to achieve
Actual Volume – What you achieved during the campaign

The base figure is typically a figure that existed prior to the campaign. This may be what you did at the same time last year, or what your annualized average volume is for the targeted product. For example, if you're targeting new loans with direct mail in May, you could use your loan dollars achieved for the prior May as your base figure. Or maybe you have an annualized average of loan dollars achieved each month that you could use as your base.

Base Figure: 1,000,000
Marketing Goal: 1,250,000
Actual Volume: 1,500,000
% Over Base = (150-100)/100 = 50% over base
% Over Marketing Goal = (150-125)/125 = 25% over goal

If the quality of entries in a given category is not strong enough, no awards will be given.

While there may be multiple entries that score high enough to earn a Diamond Award, there will only be one Category’s Best per asset level, per category awarded. If the judges feel that no entry has risen to the level of a Diamond or Category’s Best, no awards will be given.

A “call for judges” is sent and applications submitted to Council Administration. Judges are selected from a pool of qualified experts, based on credit union and marketing expertise; past honors / awards received; past judging / competition experience.

• A minimum panel of three judges scores each entry independently, based on specific criteria and score values assigned to that category. 
• Scores must meet a minimum percentage threshold to be recognized with a Diamond or a Category’s Best.

Strategy and Results: What was the strategy and objective(s) behind the entry? Did the entry produce the expected results, given the credit union’s position in the marketplace and competitive factors?

Creativity: How did the creative concept position its offer to its target audience? Is the overall concept consistent with the stated strategy and objectives? Does the design and creativity enhance the idea and message to connect and communicate clearly?

Design and Production: How effective are the entry's design elements (typography, art, color, white space, quality of printing); or in the case of electronic, the entry's use of talent, visuals and sound and reproduction quality? Does the design and creativity enhance the idea and make it better? Is attention paid to the “fit and finish” of the final product? Is the quality of the printing, lighting, recording and reproduction polished?

Copy and Communication: Is the writing effective in helping sell the idea and producing the results? Are products clearly stated or obscured?

Results: How did the entry do, given its objective, budget, and credit union's strategy? Did the idea behind the entry produce the results it was supposed to?

The Marketing & Business Development Council receives over 1,200 entries each year for the Diamond Awards. Because of the volume of entries, judges are not able to provide written comments on each individual entry.

The early-bird entry deadline is December 13, 2023; the final entry deadline is January 8, 2024 (Monday by 11:59 pm CT). Entries must be submitted online along with payment by January 17 for your entries to be included in the competition.

Over the past 5 years, an average of 1,150 entries have been received per year, and an average of 345 awards were given per year, which is an average of 30% of entries that receive awards.

Only the winners are notified that they've won something but are not told what they've won. Winners will be notified via email on or about February 6, 2024.

The winning entries will be announced at the annual conference during an awards ceremony on March 19, 2024.

A representative from your ad agency won’t have the opportunity to accept the award on your behalf. The awards ceremony is streamlined by matching the attendee roster with the winning credit unions and only those who are present are announced. Therefore, if your credit union is not listed on the attendee roster by Monday, February 26, 2024, your award won’t be announced during the ceremony, but rather it will be shown at the beginning of the awards dinner.

Approximately 2 weeks after the conference, the awards that were not picked up at the conference will be shipped to the credit union.