Ascentra Credit Union Receives Diamond Awards for Outstanding Marketing Achievements
BETTENDORF, IOWA – Ascentra Credit Union was recently awarded eight Diamond Awards by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) in recognition for outstanding marketing and business development achievements in the credit union industry.
The awards were presented by the CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council, a national network comprised of over 1,200 credit union marketing and business development professionals. Awards are given in each of 33 categories ranging from advertising to community events and beyond.
Ascentra won five “Category’s Best” awards and three Diamond Awards:
- In Sept. 2020, Ascentra launched a new Digital Banking platform that focused on giving members access to all their digital products with the same user experience, regardless of the device they use. To promote this new upgrade, and to reach more than 20,000 digital banking users, Ascentra’s marketing department developed a comprehensive campaign to reach members through in-branch, digital, and direct marketing. As a result of this effort, Ascentra earned the following four Diamond Awards:
- Complete Campaign (Category’s Best) – Recognizes efforts used in a single marketing campaign that includes a minimum of two different elements.
- Internal Marketing Recognition/Incentive Campaign (Category’s Best) – Awarded for programs that enhance external marketing efforts by recognizing and/or incenting credit union staff over an extended campaign period.
- Point of Sale Display and Retail Merchandising (Category’s Best)– For an overall strategy designed to enhance member awareness of credit union services.
- Direct Mail – For a single mail piece supporting one effort, mailed to members or potential members.
In addition, awards were received for other marketing efforts in the following categories:
- Brand Awareness (Category’s Best) – This category recognizes marketing efforts that increase brand awareness recognition to current or potential credit union members. Ascentra won this award for promoting its brand identity through a “People Helping People” COVID-19 Campaign that provided members with options to financially sustain themselves during the pandemic but also showed support for the community. This included providing a safe banking environment, introducing local and national resources for help, and ultimately setting our “People Helping People” philosophy into action.
- Crisis Management (Category’s Best) – New in 2020, this category recognizes marketing efforts for awareness and response to crisis management, community impact, and internal culture efforts. Ascentra won this award for its internal and external efforts and communications in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Video, Non-Commercial – This category awards single videos produced by or for the credit union. Ascentra won this award for a video created in partnership with River Bend Food Bank to create awareness of additional food insecurities, caused by the pandemic in our community as a part of our holiday promotions.
- Website – This category awards any use of a credit union’s website. Ascentra won this award for our redesigned website launched in March 2020. Ascentra.org was treated to a fresh new design and functionality that added a chat function, Spanish site and a news section to house articles on financial topics.
This year the CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council celebrated Diamond Awards Week by announcing winners through a series of daily virtual awards ceremonies. Overall, 1,278 entries were submitted. Six credit unions won Best of Show Awards, 86 won Category’s Best Awards and 264 won Diamond Awards.