Financial Marketing Awards announces deadline, new categories for entries.

• Position: MARKETING EDGE: TAP INTO THE NETWORK

The deadline for entries in the 37th Annual ABA Financial Marketing Awards has been set for May 15, 2009.

The categories in this year's competition have been consolidated to six, down from 10 in last year's competition.

The 2009 Financial Marketing Awards winners will be announced at the ABA Marketing Conference, Sept. 13-15, 2009, at San Antonio, Texas.

Established in 1972, the ABA Financial Marketing Awards bestow recognition to bank marketing professionals and their agencies for creative and innovative excellence based on bank asset size. Sponsored by ABA Marketing Network, this competition is the most prestigious in the industry and only national competition strictly for financial marketers.

Eligible to enter are financial institutions--including banks, savings and loans, trust companies, savings banks, insurance companies, brokerage firms, investment firms, and credit card companies--and their advertising agencies. All ABA service members are welcome to compete.

You do not have to be an ABA Marketing Network member to submit an entry.

Entries are divided into six categories. There are four asset-size levels for each category so that every institution competes only with its asset-size peers. The asset-size levels are: under $500 million, $500 million to $1 billion, $1 billion to $5 billion, and more than $5 billion.

Financial institutions can enter as many categories as they see fit.

Entries consist of discrete campaigns in whole or in part. These campaigns can consist of TV and radio spots, print, Web pages, direct mail, outdoor--and anything else that can be downloaded onto a DVD disk.

The entry categories are:

* Brand Campaign for both new and established brands, whether introducing a new brand as a result of a merger or rejuvenating an existing brand; can include internal branding.

*...