Rochester, NY - January 29, 2007 - PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative, announced the finalists today for its fourth annual Best Practices Awards, which will be presented at the Application Forum in Anaheim, California, February 12 - 14. PODi received over 50 entries for its Best Practices Case Study collection. These prestigious awards recognize the year's most successful and innovative digital printing applications that best exemplify the business potential of digital printing. "The digital print and personalized marketing industry has become a powerful communication medium as seen in the outstanding case studies that were submitted this year. Although only one winner in each category is selected, we felt that the top case studies deserved recognition as they all achieved digital excellence," said Rab Govil, president of PODi. Winners in four application categories will be announced. The finalists for the Best Practices award in the business-to-business category are: - Disney Destinations, LLC and Royal Impressions - "Disney Destinations Cuts Costs and Improves Results with Customized Sales Collateral" - F.P. Horak - "F.P. Horak Gathers Hot Leads with Personalized URLs" - International Center for Entrepreneurial Development - "Kwik Kopy Saves Time and Money using Web-to-Print and Personalized Mailings to Promote Franchises" - Seco-Carboloy and Sugar Bush Media Solutions - "Seco-Carboloy Increases Revenue and Supports Dealers with Web-to-Print Portal" The finalists for the Best Practices award in the business-to-consumer category are: - Alerus Financial, nDialogue and AlphaGraphics Minneapolis - "Alerus Financial Solicits New Business with Variable Data and Personalized URL Mail Campaign" - Automobile Association of America, Mid-Atlantic region and Imaging Solutions - "AAA Drives Traffic to its Stores with Two-Touch Personalized Mail Campaign" - Polaris Industries and Moore Wallace Response Marketing Services - "Polaris Dealers Use Variable Data Printing to Boost Sales" - Tiffin University and Metzgers Printing + Mailing - "Highly Customized Response Pieces Drive Enrollment at Tiffin University" The finalists for the Best Practices award in the Web-to-print category are: - Glasgow Solicitors Property Centre - "GSPC Cuts Costs and Gives Member Firms with Web-based ordering solution" - Group Health Cooperative HMO and The Garvey Group - "The Group Health Cooperative Automates Printing and Distribution of Membership Kits" - Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, Scope 1 and Dispatch Digital Printing Services - "Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Reaches Up to 15,000 Prospects a Week with Personalized Direct Marketing Program" - Smith & Nephew and Cenveo - "Smith & Nephew Reduces Cost and Saves Time Using On-Demand Sales Collateral System" The finalists for the Best Practices award in the relevant marketing category are: - Agfa Graphics and Magicom LLC - "Agfa Promotes Plates with Targeted Direct Mail" - Cellcom and Seaway Printing - "Cellcom Rings Up New Business with Variable Data Direct Mail Campaign" - TAG Home Care - "TAG Home Care Draws a Crowd Using Personalized Postcards" - Tamarack Funds and Rapid Solutions Group - "Tamarack Funds Boost IRA Contributions Using Personalized Direct Mail" The Best Practices competition is rigorous, and a top-notch team of industry experts judges the entries. The panel judging the business-to-business, business-to-consumer and Web-to-print categories includes Dr. John Leninger, Professor of Graphic Communications, Clemson University; David Mastervich, New Business Development, US Postal Service; and Cary Sherburne, Sherburne & Associates. The relevant marketing category was judged by members of PODi's Marketing Working Group. The Best Practices Awards will be presented on February 13th, the second day of the Application Forum. Details of the winning applications will be presented by the service providers and their clients immediately following the awards presentation.