Pitney Bowes

Variable Data Works Magic for Disney BEING IN the printing industry, it’s hard not to have a skewed view of developments in the variable data marketing arena. The topic has received so much play, it’s easy to assume everyone has heard about this marketing technique and technology by now. Certainly, it has to be old hat for a marketing force such as Disney. Until last year, however, Disney Destinations had been sending out a generic package to anyone who contacted the company for information about booking an event at one of Disney’s five resort properties. Worse yet, there was no follow- up with these

Kodak Revs Its Engine for Graph Expo ROCHESTER, NY—With Graph Expo 2007 just around the corner, Eastman Kodak recently leveraged its sponsorship of a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver to stage a memorable analyst and press briefing event. The company signed on as primary sponsor of the No. 12 Dodge Charger driven by Ryan Newman at three major races, including the Centurion Boats at The Glen race at Watkins Glen International in nearby Watkins Glen, NY, which the group attended. The racing theme carried over to the next day, as Kodak announced it is filling the need for speed by introducing the Nexpress S3000 digital production

Here’s an exclusive, PRE-SHOW PREVIEW showcasing new products submitted by many of the exhibitors that will be displaying their wares next month in Chicago. Colter & Peterson will showcase the BASA 3, which features an automatic jogging system that can automatically form layers of printed sheets, align them accurately and transport them to the subsequent cutting process. The BASA 3 is appropriate for paper from 16-lb. bond to 125-lb. tag, and is effective when combined with a modern, rear-table-feeding system. Existing gripper transport systems can be retrofitted. Visit www.piworld.com/infocenter: enter #377 MBO America will introduce the Super KTZ, featuring a knife-folding unit that

ROCHESTER, NY—June 12, 2007—PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative, announces the call for submissions for the 2008 Best Practices case studies collection. Each year, the competition draws dozens of the most innovative examples of digital printing success. Entries can be submitted for any program that involves the use of digital printing, including print-on-demand books, direct mail, collateral, web-to-print, transaction applications and more. There is no fee for submitting case studies for the competition, and no limit on number of submissions. The deadline for entries is July 31, 2007. Submission forms and instructions are available at www.podi.org/casestudy/bpsubmission. All case studies accepted for the online Best

MAN Roland Hosts Printers for Press Premier OFFENBACH, GERMANY—The world premier of a “next generation” sheetfed printing platform isn’t an everyday occurrence, so MAN Roland extended its recent festivities to more than a week to allow for bringing in several groups of select printers, journalists and its own employees from around the globe. The stars of the show were HiPrint and DirectDrive versions of the new Roland 700 sheetfed printing platform. To make the most of the trip, the contingent from North America was additionally treated to tours of a local DirectDrive beta site, MAN Roland’s foundry and its manufacturing/assembly facilities for sheetfed presses.

Open the Mail and Say Ahh There can be such a thing as getting too personal. Tailoring the content of a printed piece to the individual recipient has been seen as a positive, but the risk of a backlash grows as people find more of their lives becoming an open book. Privacy can also become an issue in another way with variable data communications. If sensitive information is included in a database provided to a print provider, that data must be secured, and care used, when incorporating it into the printed piece. The March edition of Printing Impressions included a story on database management

Imitation Breeds Success Variable data has won many converts in the design and marketing communities, but the selling cycle for prospects typically still involves an education process. The easiest way to sell this marketing approach is to show a potential user how a competitor is exploiting the technique to its advantage. If there is a prospect for which variable data should be a “no brainer” it is the company that sells through a decentralized network of sales reps, dealers or agents who will benefit from being able to order smaller quantities of marketing materials that they can customize and personalize for their prospects. Even

Personalized Flyer Is Picture of Success Sales of student photos have been on the decline across the country for years, when measured as a percentage of parents purchasing packages. Inter-State Studio and Publishing (www.inter-state.com) sought to buck this trend and find a more effective way of presenting image treatment options, which increase the dollar value of orders. For decades, the company had been using the tried-and-true method of creating sales flyers by affixing two unique photographic prints from a child’s photo onto a conventionally printed, stock flyer (Inter-State Commercial Printing is another division of the company). This was the standard marketing method used by

Valassis Nixes ADVO Deal LIVONIA, MI—Alleging fraud, Valassis Com­munications has sued ADVO in chancery court to rescind its $1.3 billion merger agreement. Valassis alleges ADVO intentionally provided false information and “withheld material information” regarding operating income. The suit also alleges ADVO executives knew of significant internal control deficiencies associated with ADVO’s order-to-cash system. ADVO sees the move as “merely a smokescreen to hide the fact that Valassis is suffering from an extreme case of buyer’s remorse,” and plans to contest the action. Quad Hits the West Coast SUSSEX, WI—Quad/Graphics has ventured west with the acquisition of Craftsman Press West, based in Reno, NV. The facility becomes Quad’s

JACKSONVILLE, FL—Five motorists here are taking a Pitney Bowes subsidiary to court for placing advertisements inside their automotive registration packets, the Associated Press reported. The five could swell to a class action suit that would include Florida’s two million drivers. The suit alleges that Imagitas, acquired by Pitney Bowes in 2005, used personal information provided by the Florida Division of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to “target and distribute advertising materials.” A lawyer for the plaintiffs claims that the use of motorists’ names and addresses for commercial use is a violation of the federal Driver’s Privacy and Protection Act, the AP reported. The act was passed