SAS

Company: SAS
Company Division/Group: Creative Services
Company Description: The world leader in business-intelligence software and services, enabling customers to turn raw data into usable knowledge. Founded in 1976, SAS serves more than 39,000 business, government and university sites in 117 countries.
Nomination Category: Organization Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Creative Organization

Nomination Title: SAS Creative Services

1. Tell the story of what this functional organization has achieved in 2002 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

   SAS Institute is the largest privately held software company in the world, with offices in over 50 countries. Founded in 1976, SAS serves more than 39,000 business, government, and university sites in 118 countries.

   The SAS Creative Services Department is comprised of fifty-six members who collaborate to design and produce the company’s advertising, marketing collateral, Web internet and intranet presence, signage, video, audio, direct mail, corporate event, and trade show materials. The team shares its expertise and assets across media formats, and its managers meet frequently to share information and priorities, ensuring an integrated and synchronized approach to company marketing and advertising initiatives.

   The Creative Services team disseminates creative assets and corporate style guidelines to the global SAS community. It is responsible for the visual identity of SAS, from print materials to T.V. and radio broadcasts to Web pages. The department is challenged with ensuring a consistent brand message while working within the global constraints of cultural differences, varying production requirements, and language nuances.

   2002 was a year of change and growth for the SAS Creative Services team. The company’s advertising campaign, previously managed by an external agency, was brought in-house and added to Creative Services’ work schedule. Additionally, during a corporate reorganization, the department was moved from SAS’ Publications division to become an entity within the Corporate Communications and Worldwide Marketing divisions. A new director was brought on board to lead the team through the transition, and as it adjusted to its new position within the company and became acquainted with new colleagues, the team designed and produced print, Web, and video assets for the most integrated marketing and advertising campaign in SAS history.

   In 2002, under new leadership, Creative Services increased productivity by approximately 70%, without increasing staff. Its list of accomplishments includes: • 600 pieces of printed collateral • 350 ads for trade publications • 430 signs and booth panels for events and tradeshows • a 48-page bi-monthly magazine • 80 HTML e- mails • 30 interactive video e-mails • 1,100+ product design and packaging assets • audio and video for global corporate events • design support for SAS’ 50,000-page Web site • photography for the majority of department work. And while Creative Services increased its productivity dramatically, the quality of its work improved as well. In March of 2002, SAS received an Advertising Excellence award in the computer software category from Forbes magazine. In April of 2002, CFO magazine presented SAS with the Harvey Communication Measurement Award “in recognition of advertising which achieved the highest readership response, as measured through personal, face-to-face interviews with a national sample of CFO readers.”

   As Creative Services productivity improved, so did client satisfaction and staff morale. Brenda Hodge, Senior Business Director of SAS Americas Marketing and Support says, “Our creative has moved to a whole new level ....” And from Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jim Davis, “...great improvement of contribution and service from Creative Services within the new structure/mandate.”

   The SAS Creative Services team looks forward to another successful year in 2003. It will launch extensions to its already successful ad campaign and create an entirely new illustrations catalog for use in marketing collateral. Among its key objectives for 2003 are the further strengthening of internal and global relationships, optimizing project management, and conducting skills assessments and career development directions for its staff.

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