Ascentra Credit Union earned four Diamond Awards in recognition for outstanding marketing and business development achievements for their 2022 marketing campaigns. Marketing staff shown in picture (left to right) are Travis Kershaw, Graphics Designer; Lindsey Osborne, Marketing Specialist; Jennifer Naeve, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer and Barry Shaw, Marketing Manager (not shown is Sarah O’Brien, Digital Marketing Specialist)
BETTENDORF, IOWA (April 20, 2023) — Ascentra Credit Union was awarded four Diamond Awards by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) in recognition for outstanding marketing and business development achievements in the credit union industry.
In 2022, Ascentra completed a 24-month long System Upgrade project that renewed the credit unions main database and operations system. Although this project required long hours and some weekends for the last seven months of the project, it was completed on-schedule with great results. This project earned three Diamond Awards in the following categories.
- Direct Mail — Single or Series — Category’s Best for a mail piece sent to all members which described the schedule, details, and impact of the project and how it would affect the members during the weekend it was being launched from July 29-August 2, 2022.
- Internal Marketing Recognition/Incentive Campaign — Category’s Best for the robust employee moral program implemented for all staff throughout the course of the project.
- Point of Sale Display and Retail Merchandising — Diamond Award for the promotional efforts created to make sure all 42,000+ members were well informed of the upcoming System Upgrade and how it would impact their accounts, transactions and how the schedule of the upgrade would impact them.
The fourth Diamond Award was in the Video Non-Commercial Series category for Ascentra’s Real Life. Real Hope campaign that is focused on reaching the underserved and low-income residents of our communities offering obtainable banking and loan products and services. This series of four videos started with a theme of “I just needed. . .” and featured four members of Ascentra Credit Union that ended the theme’s sentence. They were “I just needed. . . to build my credit”; “I just needed. . . someone to give me a chance”; “I just needed. . . to get away from payday lenders”; and “I just needed. . . someone to give me a loan.”
“These awards were earned by every employee and member of Ascentra,” said Jennifer Naeve, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Ascentra Credit Union. “Our System Upgrade required significant effort from every one of our employees with a full understanding and high level of patience from our more than 42,000 dedicated members that trust us with their finances every day. I am proud that all involved worked together to successfully promote, communicate and complete the credit union’s largest project to date.”
The awards were presented by the CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council, a national network comprised of more than 1,200 credit-union marketing and business-development professionals. Judges evaluated entries based on strategy, design, production, creative concept, copy, communications, and results. This year’s Diamond Awards competition received 1,246 entries — In total, 159 credit unions received awards, 91 Category’s Best, and 244 Diamond Awards.
“The Diamond Awards showcase the best of the best in credit union marketing and business development initiatives,” said Marella Nardotti, Diamond Awards chair and chief marketing officer at NextMark Credit Union. “They recognize innovation and creativity, while tying in impact on organizational profitability, growth, and brand-awareness.”
About Ascentra
Founded in 1950, Ascentra Credit Union is Iowa's premier credit union with more than $534 million in assets and nine branches serving the communities of Bettendorf, Clinton, Davenport, Muscatine, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois. Learn more about Ascentra Credit Union at ascentra.org. Follow Ascentra on Facebook (@ascentra), Twitter (@ascentra), Instagram (@ascentracu), TikTok (@ascentra), and on the Ascentra Credit Union YouTube channel.
About CUNA
Credit Union National Association (CUNA) is the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America's credit unions, which are owned by 120 million consumer members. CUNA, along with its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, delivers unwavering advocacy, continuous professional growth, and operational confidence to protect the best interests of all credit unions. For more information about CUNA, visit cuna.org. To find your nearest credit union, visit YourMoneyFurther.com.
About CUNA Councils
CUNA Councils is a member-led, collaborative community of credit union leaders providing vibrant peer interaction, new ideas, and innovation to foster professional development for our members while advocating for the overall success of the credit-union movement. There are eight CUNA Councils with a network of more than 7,300 credit-union professionals. For more information, visit cunacouncils.org.
