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Criteria

In order to be eligible for the Diamond Awards competition, entries must meet the eligibility and submission requirements listed here.

Who May Enter

Any credit union, credit union association/league, or CUSO. Agencies may enter the competition on behalf of their clients and pay the Agency submitting on behalf of a credit union fee.

CU Associations / Leagues or CUSOs may enter all categories

Scoring

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?

Judging

  • Judges are selected from a pool of qualified experts, based on credit union and marketing expertise; past honors / awards received; past judging / competition experience. 
More judging information
  • 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.

Eligibility & Rules

  • To be judged or to receive an award, an entry must be from a credit union, credit union association or league, or CUSO. 
  • All entries require digital files to be submitted and entries must conform to defined submission requirements. (See Technical Specifications and Accepted Formats for Entries). Hard copies will not be accepted for any entry. 
  • Entries must be original and not part of a co-op effort (unless noted in entry category). No pre-designed art or materials are allowed. (Stock art and photography as a single component of originally designed pieces are permitted.) 
  • No materials originally produced for another organization are allowed in any category. 
  • Entries must conform to all copyright laws. 
  • Entries must have been distributed to your members for the first time and final results obtained during 2024. 
  • Entries must be entered in the correct category and be correctly identified. 
  • An incomplete entry form is grounds for disqualification. 
  • Unless otherwise stated, an entry consists of only one component. 
  • If you enter a piece in more than one category, complete the requirements and entry form for each category. Judges will not cross-reference pieces from one entry to another. 
  • If the quality of entries in a given category is not strong enough, no awards will be given in that category. 
  • All judges' decisions are final. 
  • Entries become the property of the Marketing, PR & Development Council. Any images, audio and video provided may be used during the awards ceremony at the annual conference and on the Council’s website.

Technical Specifications and Accepted Formats for Entries

You must submit each entry as a digital file. Hard copies will not be accepted. Any images, audio and video provided may be used during the awards ceremony at the annual conference and on the Council’s website. If you’re unable to upload files, check your browser's pop-up settings. Or contact us at 608-231-4011 or diamondawards@americascreditunions.org

  • Avoid these file types: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Illustrator, TIF, RAW, and any other type not specified in the directions. 
  • Winning entries will be displayed on the Diamond Award Winning Entries Kiosks at the annual conference. To optimize entries, use large images while maintaining aspect ratio.
    • Width: Images should have a minimum width of 800 pixels and a maximum width of 1824.
    • Height: Images should have a minimum height of 800 pixels and a maximum height of 2736.
  • Do put all images in RGB format. Avoid CMYK format. 
  • Do use images with a DPI value of 96. 
  • Do use images with square pixels. Avoid half pixels. 
  • Do use white for background color.
  • Do include brief descriptions of context for each image in a collage. We recommend brief descriptions of context for images in general. (See “JPEG collage with description” and “JPEG with description.”)

Please make an effort to meet all specifications. Winning entries are opened and checked by an editor. Entries that do not meet specifications create extra work late in the acceptance process. Although editors make every effort to reformat and resize for high-quality results, these are not guaranteed for incorrectly submitted entries. Follow this guide to ensure judges and attendees will see your best work!

  • File type: JPEG, PNG, or PDF
  • Use PDF format to showcase a portfolio of images or entries in book format that require page turns (annual reports, magazines, etc.). Be mindful of uploading 15 separate files when one PDF could contain images with captions or descriptions that help support your narrative.
  • File size: up to 9 MB
  • File type: MP4 or WebM; YouTube and Vimeo are acceptable (check links before submitting)
  • Avoid WMV, AVI, MOV
  • File size: up to 60 MB 
  • Script: JPEG or PDF. Displays best when script fits on one page. Avoid Word documents. 
  • Resolution: 720p or 1080p preferred; minimum 640 x 480 pixels. 
  • Do upload the video only. Avoid bars, slate or black at the beginning or end of the video. 
  • Do provide a screenshot for each video and label the file name.
  • File type: MP3 
  • File size: up to 7 MB 
  • Script: JPEG or PDF. Displays best when script fits on one page. Avoid Word documents. 
  • Sampling rate: 44 KHz (44,100 Hz) 
  • Bit rate: 196 KB/s maximum 
  • Sound: Stereo
  • Do provide URL link as a PDF to the website, microsite, or mobile application. 
  • Do provide password information as a PDF for password-protected sites. 
  • Do provide a screenshot as a JPEG or PNG. A homepage screenshot will be displayed if no other is provided. If you want to display more than the homepage, create a collage or provide multiple images. 
  • Do provide screenshots for emails. Avoid links to emails.

Timeline

Key Dates

15 OCT 2024
Open for Applications | Apply Now

 

18 DEC 2024
Early-Bird Entry Deadline

 

15 JAN 2025
Final Entry Deadline
Wednesday by 11:59 pm CT
 

17 FEB 2025 | on or about
Winners notified via email
 

26 MAR 2025
Awards announced at Recognition Dinner

View Submission Process

How to Enter

2025 Diamond Awards | Enter now

Entries must be completed by January 15, 2025. Submit by December 18, 2024, and save on entry fees! Use your America’s Credit Unions login credentials to complete the application. For further assistance, contact diamondawards@americascreditunions.org.

Learn how to enter