Judging Process
The Process
The Crystal Awards committee sets criteria, tabulates results, and certifies finalists and winners. A select panel of judges consists of CMOs, national AMA leaders or executives, nationally recognized agency leaders, authors, and marketing academics outside of the Houston area. Past participants have been senior marketers from other AMA chapters, Ogilvy, FedEx, Accenture, University of Michigan, and more.
All entries are judged at least twice, and by different judges, all of who are experts in the particular category. Judges make all decisions regarding eligibility, finalists, and winners. Judges’ decisions are final.
Each entry must include answers to the five questions listed here, 800 word maximum for each question. Judges score each answer on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being the highest. The winner is the entry with the highest number of points in each category.
Entry Questions
SITUATION/CHALLENGE
What was the core, basic problem to be solved or situation to be addressed by the entry? Judges score on how clearly the challenge is stated. (800-word max)
OBJECTIVE(S)
What was/were the objective(s) to address the situation or challenge?
Judges score whether the objectives are sound, clear, and measurable. If objectives aren’t measurable, judges score on whether they were clear enough to determine if they were achieved. (800-word max)
STRATEGY/TACTICS
What was the strategy, and what tactics (actions) were undertaken for achieving the objectives?
Judges score on how well the strategy/tactics relate to achieving the objectives. (800-word max)
MESSAGE ALIGNMENT
How does the approach and tone of the creative message align with the target audience and support the stated objectives and strategies?
Judges score on how well the elements of the message, including the graphics and copy, align with the goals of the program. These criteria will allow judges to give credit for innovative and creative ideas within marketing programs. (800-word max)
RESULTS
Which results did this entry deliver? Did the entry meet its objective(s)?
Judges score how effective the entry was in producing results that tie to the stated objective(s). The Results score receives DOUBLE WEIGHT, so it is extremely important to describe the results in measurable terms as possible to prove the objective(s) was/were achieved. (800-word max)
