Crystal Marketing Award Overview & Criteria

Overview

The Crystal Marketing Award recognizes those institutions that achieve significant results from marketing communications tools to support any of their various continuing education programs. The strategic approach, overall quality, and results achieved are important criteria in determining the winner. A first-place award will be presented to the single entry that exemplifies the most creative and outstanding uses of marketing, either of a multi-faceted campaign or a single initiative. A number of honorable mentions may also be cited.

Types of Entries

ACHE invites you to submit a variety of entries for consideration. Examples of marketing communications tools that could bring the Award to your organization include (but are not limited to): website design, electronic tools, print advertising campaign, broadcast spots (radio, television or Internet), publications, public relations events or a social networking campaign. The marketing/promotional initiative can include elements of print publication, radio and television, media relations, public relations activities, electronic communications, internal magazines, newsletters and similar tools. Institutions and members may submit multiple entries. However, each entry must be in support of a continuing education program or activity, not of other branches of the school.

Judging

The panel of judges from the Florida Institute of Technology will evaluate evidence of planning, quality, creativity and outcome(s).
Judging criteria include:

• The overall strategic approach, including clarity of purpose, definition of audience(s) and quality of implementation.
• Appropriateness of the communication tool chosen to reach the selected audience(s) and a thorough understanding of the intended outcome(s).
• Achievement of stated objective(s) and methods of measuring results.
• Innovation, originality and cost effectiveness.

All submissions will be reviewed by a judging panel that includes senior representatives in the field of marketing communications.

Eligibility

Nominees must be ACHE members in good standing and all programs nominated must be from institutional or organizational members. Multiple entries may be submitted for consideration. Marketing communications strategies and tools must have been implemented or completed between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 to be considered for this award.

Recognition

One first-place winner will be announced and a representative invited to receive the award at the ACHE annual meeting as well as present the details of the project in a public session. The Crystal Marketing entry and a selection of other submissions will also be on display during the conference.

Submission Guidelines

• Submit a Nomination Form for each individual entry. Each form submission should include a Word document (.doc or .rtf) that includes responses to the following:
  • title of the campaign or submission
  • a brief background
  • target audience(s)
  • objective(s)
  • implementation
  • results
  • and budget (projected and actual).
• Once you’ve completed the online form, you’ll receive a confirmation e-mail to the e-mail address on your submission form.  Please print this confirmation email and enclose TWO copies of it with your submission materials.
• Send your submission materials by surface mail to:

• Your entry does not have to be mounted, but it should be prepared in a manner appropriate for judging and exhibition. Please consolidate materials for judging as an easy-to-follow presentation, e.g., a loose-leaf binder or one or more presentation boards. Mounted entries should be sized for easy handling and display (keeping in mind that entries may be displayed at the annual meeting). If you have questions about the packaging of entries, please contact the marketing award coordinator for suggestions.
• Electronic media entries must include hard copies of sample pages. Broadcast entries must include a script.

Please note that submissions and the components or samples cannot be returned, nor does ACHE reimburse award recipients' travel, registration fees or application expenses.

Nomination Form