"Very straight-forward functionality." —juror Robert Hodgin

"So this is how local dealers make ads for the back of the Sunday paper!? This feels like a really useful tool for customizing communications while maintaining brand consistency. It cleanly and nicely does what it needs to do." —juror Jacquie Moss

Overview: With this CD-ROM, Harley-Davidson dealers can choose from numerous ad types, topics, images and categories, and use them to create their own advertisements. Once an ad is built, users can then enter in a customized message and download a PDF version of the finished product—or e-mail it to a printer.

• Director-based application
• 3-week development time
• Custom PDF-format ad production

Comments by Mark Coleman:
"Since the tool's initial launch in 1999, the AdGenerator has matured and expanded into an enterprise level brand management solution that not only protects a company's brand equity in print collateral generation, but extends marketing and advertising communications vehicles on the Web and over e-mail based solutions.

"Responding to customer feedback and the need for a more comprehensive solution, various marketing and budgeting components were added to complement the core technology of dynamic ad generation.

"What's great about the AdPlanner is that it now contains a number of tools, encapsulated in a single Web interface, that address the financial issues surrounding advertising. A Marketing Calendar gives the user a snapshot of what marketing programs they currently have in place and those they need to plan for; Brand Reports allows users to track spending against allocation; the Brand Source component provides users with a fully integrated print fulfillment option; and the Brand Forum allows users to collaborate and exchange ideas on campaign strategies and pitfalls.

"Interestingly, after seeing the tremendous success of the Harley-Davidson North America Ad Planner, Harley-Davidson Europe wanted to join in. They felt that it would help them create a consistent look and feel and message in the most abundantly used type of ad placement—the Classified."