Organizers of the Marketing Award for Excellence (MAX) announced PolyVision Corporation as the Grand Winner of this year's 13th Annual MAX Award. PolyVision impressed this year's panel of judges with two innovative new products, a Walk-and-Talk Interactive Lectern and an Interactive Whiteboard. Both products help presenters to be more interactive with their audiences. The wireless lectern allows the presenter to be mobile throughout the room, while the whiteboard doubles as a giant television projection screen.

Additionally, the MAX Awards named two Winners at the breakfast: Georgia-Pacific for its Brawny Paper Towels and Miller Zell for The H&R Block Mobile Tax Office.

Winners were chosen from a group of finalists selected by the Georgia State University Marketing RoundTable, which is comprised of senior marketing executives from many of Atlanta's top companies. The other finalists were AirTran Airways for its A+ Awards and The Home Depot for The Home Depot Manhattan, its Ryobi AIRgrip Laser Level and its Ryobi One+.

"In MAX Awards tradition, the Grand Winner is selected by the GSU RoundTable for exemplary marketing innovation," commented Dr. Ken Bernhardt, chair of the marketing department at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. "PolyVision has used technological innovation to develop these products in an effort to help solve common frustrations frequently encountered by those who make presentations. Sales for both products are already going like gangbusters."

2001

United Parcel Service was Grand Winner of the 2001 MAX Award for UPS Returns on the Web, a system for simplifying reverse logistics for firms both online and offline. Returns on the Web allows consumers to print their own return labels for good to be returned, increasing convenience and customer value while reducing the logistical burden for vendors.

Two Winners for 2001 were (1) Delta Air Lines, for MYOBTravel and (2) Simmons, for Beautyrest 2000. MYOBTravel brings large company travel management tools to firms that spend less than $250,000 per year on air fare, and allows customers to book travel on any airline. The Beautyrest 2000 emerged from research that revealed a market for a better mattress that improved the quality of sleep, and resulted in a 30% increase in sales.

Besides the Winners and the Grand Winner, the judges recognized five Finalists: Chick-Fil-A, for its Cool Wraps, chicken wrap sandwiches; i2Go, for its Interactive Audio Promotion Platform, which delivers interactive audio content to mobile, wireless devices; Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, for its Industries of the Mind campaign which helped attract 30 tech companies to Atlanta; Kimberly-Clark, for its Scott MegaCartridge Napkin System, which reduced both waste and labor in fast-food and other applications; and SoftCARD Systems, for its SmartSource Rewards Machine, an electronic coupon system which delivers the benefits of targeted promotions without the hassle of paper coupons.

2000

For the first time, the judges chose two Grand Winners. Zoo Atlanta was Grand Winner for The Giant Panda Project. Zoo Atlanta used key partnerships to leverage a limited marketing budget, build traffic in an "off" season and help to preserve an engandered species. Premiere Technologies was Grand Winner for Orchestrate Email by Phone, a nationwide service which links multiple communication tools for customers without requiring them to use any special equipment.

Two Winners for 2000 were (1) Third Millenium Communications, for ExpoExchange and (2) Kimberly-Clark, for ShopPro Shop Towels. ExpoExchange extends the value of trade show exposure, providing additional virtual space where participating companies can promote their products and services. ShopPro Shop Towels are a disposable product which is superior to cloth rags on absorption of oil and water, with the durability to support extended use.

Besides the Winners and the Grand Winners, the judges recognized five Finalists: ActiveGroup, a service for online viewing of live focus groups; BellSouth Telecommunications, for its Privacy Director Service, which intercepts unwanted calls before the subscriber's phone rings; ChoicePointe, for its SearchPointe physician dossier database; Equifax, for its eID Verifier, a tool which compares the information provided by customers at business web sites with information from credit databases; and Primis, for its nationwide property appraisal system.

1999

United Parcel Service was Grand Winner of the 1999 MAX Award for UPS Document Exchange, a system for securely delivering electronic documents. UPS Document Exchange guarantees both security and delivery for sensitive electronic documents.

Two Winners for 1999 were (1) The Home Depot, for its Kids Workshop; and (2) MortgageAuction.Com. The Home Depot's Kids Workshop is a Saturady program which builds kids' confidence and skills, while building sales and goodwill for local stores. Loan seekers can submit an application through the MortgageAuction.Com site and then wait for bids from lenders. Name and location information are initially withheld, thus susbstantially reducing the possibility of lending discrimination.

Besides the Winners and the Grand Winner, the judges recognized seven Finalists: Coca-Cola USA, for its Cherry Coke 'Do Something Different' campaign; R.J. & Co., for its 'Party in a Box' Wal-Mart Barbie promotion; Kimberly-Clark Corp, for the MicroCool Surgical Gown; BellSouth Telecommunications, for its Caller ID sampling program; Certifiedemail, for Certifiedemal.com; The About Time Group, for PCfix 2000; and United Parcel Service, for Guaranteed Ground service.

1998

CheckFree Corporation was Grand Winner of the 1998 MAX Award for the development and introduction of E-Bill, "the industry's first electronic billing and payment technology. CheckFree E-Bill aims to reduce costs and bring paperless conveniences to businesses and consumers."

Two Winners for 1998 were (1) BellSouth Telecommunications, for its Bill Management Service; and (2) Equifax, for its Bankruptcy Navigator. BellSouth Telecommunications' Bill Management Service "enables business customers to manage their communications networks easily with billing data and analysis incorporated into a user-friendly software package." Equifax's Bankruptcy Navigator "takes the new approach of managing bankruptcy risk across the entire credit account lifecycle."

Besides the Winners and the Grand Winner, the judges recognized two Finalists: Families First, for its Pregnancy Prevention Program for Pre-Teens, and MediaVehicles, for Truckside Advertising.

1997

President Baking Company was Grand Winner of the 1997 MAX Award for the Murray Sugar-Free cookie line. This full line of high-quality cookies, is targeted at American with diabetes. President Baking Company worked with the American Diabetes Association to get samples of their sugar- and fructose-free cookies into the hands of as many target consumers as possible. Rapid growth in sales of the Murray Sugar-Free line, within a category that is stagnant overall, shows that the product addresses a substantial unmet need.

Two Winners for 1997 were (1) Suntory Water Group (Crystal Springs), for the Crystal Springs Olympic marketing program; and (2) Scientific-Atlanta, for its dataXcellerator Cable Modem. The Crystal Springs program began with a sponsorship as Official Bottled Water of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, and continued with a distinctive label design, donated products being consumed on camera, an instant-win game, and extremely broad distribution within the Atlanta metro area, all leveraging the connections between sport, health, and the Atlanta heat. Scientific-Atlanta's dataXcellerator Cable Modem uses TV cables to download video, audio and information, and telephone lines to upload commands, balancing the speed and high capacity of cable against the low cost of telephone.

Besides the Winners and the Grand Winner, the judges recognized six Finalists: BellSouth Cellular, for its "Mobile America Cellular Calling Card," a cellular debit card that lets customers use their cellular telephone anywhere, to call anywhere, at one low per-minute rate; BellSouth Telecommunications, for its "Solutions-in-a-Box," a one-package offering for delivering local telephone service that combines hardware, information, and special offers; INBRAND Corporation, for "Slip-On Incontinence Product," an adult incontinence product that provides added convenience for users who also suffer impaired dexterity or vision; Marketing Ventures of America, for "Grand Lyon Bordeaux Ketchup," a gourmet recipe ketchup sold in a bottle featuring an award-winning design; Snapper, for its "Yard Cruiser," a riding mower with advanced features including zero-turn steering, arm rests and a rear-mounted engine that enhances visibility and reduces heat and noise; and Voice-It Worldwide, for its "Voice-It Manager," a hand-held, voice-based personal organizer.

1996

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Georgia and advertising agency Cole Henderson Drake were Grand Winners of the 1996 MAX Award for the "BlueChoice Healthcare Plan." The BlueChoice Healthcare Plan was chosen because, besides issues of quality of care, access and cost, this approach also incorporates a "worry-free, hassle-free" dimension which is appealing to corporate benefits managers.

Two Winners for 1996 were (1) the Lovable Company and The Morrison Agency, for the "Magic Ring Bra," and (2) Scottish Rite Children's Medical Center, for its "RiteCall 24-Hour Children's Health Resource Line. The Magic Ring Bra uses unique stitching and engineering to eliminate the need for an uncomfortable underwire while still providing firm support. RiteCall is a free telephone triage service which helps parents provide care for their sick children at home and advises them about when to take children to a medical facility.

Besides the Winners and the Grand Winner, the judges recognized seven Finalists: The Darworth Company, for its "FI:X Wood Patch," a wood filler which eliminates the need for toxic solvents and which comes in a convenient applicator package; Delta Air Lines, for its "Escape Plan" vacation travel plan; Elrick & Lavidge, for "RealTest," an innovative approach to simulated test marketing; Home Depot, for "Home Improvement 1-2-3," an integrated communications program to reach and inform do-it-yourselfers; Kimberly-Clark and Pollak Levitt Chaiet, for the "ULTRA Surgical Gown," which reduces blood penetration by incorporating new fabric technology; MCI and Ketchum Public Relations for "1-800 MUSIC NOW," an automated over-the-phone music retailing system; and Servantis Systems (recently acquired by CheckFree Corporation), for its "Bank Street Home Banking Software" and related services.

1995

Medical College of Georgia was the Grand Winner of the 1995 MAX Award for its "Statewide Telemedicine Network." With 59 sites across the state, the interactive audio/video system allows doctors to consult on cases even when the doctors and the patient are hundreds of miles apart. The system promises to make the best medical opinion available even to those who live in more rural sections of the state.

The two Winne1rs for 1995 were (1) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fitzgerald & Company for "Access Atlanta," the region's first local on-line service, and (2) Tortorici & Company for the "Chick-Fil-A Customer Referral Program," a program for increasing customer awareness of new Chick-Fil-A locations.

The judges recognized eight Finalists: the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, for the Olympic auto license plate program; the Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee, for their mascot, "Blaze;" Conway Data, for "GeoFax;" a site-selection database system; Easter Seals of North Georgia, for "Easter Seal Solutions;" John H. Harland Co., for "DeposiPac 2000;" Prizm Medical, for the "Electro-Mesh Glove," which uses electromagnetic radiation to speed healing; Relaxers Comfort Footwear for "Okabashi Comfort Sandals;" and TRC Staffing Services, for their program, "STAFF."

1994

BellSouth Cellular Corporation was the Grand Winner of the 1994 MAX Award for "SIMON." This "mobile personal communicator," designed by IBM to BellSouth's specifications, which combined a cellular phone, a pager, a send/receive fax and an e-mail client in a unit the size of a standard transportable phone.

The two Winners for 1994 were (1) Scientific-Atlanta for "CoAccess," "equipment that allows use of existing cable television wire for phone, video and data transmission," and (2) ValuJet Airlines, for successfully providing no-frills air travel at very low cost throughout the Southeast, and beyond.

Finalists for 1994 were MCI Business Markets, for their "Proof Positive" marketing program; and Scientific-Atlanta for CONEXT, a PC-based interactive videoconferencing system.

1993

A.D.A.M. Software was the Grand Winner of the very first MAX Award for their "Human Anatomy Software." Besides its instructional value, this multimedia software package gives health professionals a new framework within which to "discuss cases . . . and share findings."

The two Winners for 1993 were (1) Norrell Services for "Master Vendor Partnering," "a turnkey human resources management program," and (2) Scientific-Atlanta for "DBTV," "a business-to-business database television product."

Finalists for 1993 were AER Energy Resources, which makes battery power systems for portable computers; Deloitte & Touche; Healthdyne, which specializes in equipment for obstetrical and maternity care; Fernbank Museum of Natural History; Isystems, for its "medical practice management services;" and United Parcel Service.

For more information . . .
For more information about the Marketing Awards for Excellence,
contact Beth Alexander, Administrative Director,
at (404) 651-2740,
fax (404) 651-4198.