SAS | Winning a competitive pitch
- Tom the Creator
- Mar 18
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 24
In my role as the interim Creative Director at B2B marketing agency April Six, a long-standing client invited us to participate in a highly competitive pitch for an innovative new campaign. This project was particularly significant as it carried a substantial value of £300K, underscoring the importance of our proposal and the potential impact it could have on both the client and our agency.
The brief we received was both challenging and exciting, as it tasked us with demonstrating how the client could achieve cut-through in the market with one of their key products: SAS Intelligent Decisioning. This product is designed to empower businesses by enhancing their decision-making capabilities through advanced analytics and data-driven insights.
In total, four agencies were competing for this project, which added an extra layer of pressure to our efforts, as we aimed to differentiate ourselves and showcase our creative prowess.
What did I do?
As the leader of the creative team, I spearheaded brainstorming sessions that generated three diverse concepts aimed at effectively responding to the Request for Proposal (RFP). Each concept was crafted to highlight unique aspects of the SAS Intelligent Decisioning product, ensuring that we addressed the client’s goals while also showcasing our innovative thinking.
Collaboration was key. I worked hand-in-glove with our strategist to dissect the RFP thoroughly. Together, we identified the core elements that were crucial for the success of our pitch, while highlighting potential pitfalls that could derail our proposal. This strategic insight allowed us to focus our energies on what truly mattered, ensuring that our response was not only creative but also aligned with the client’s objectives.
Among the concepts developed, I originated two distinct ideas that together won us the pitch. These concepts were innovative and resonated well with the client’s vision and requirements, leading to their selection for further development. This success was a testament to the collaborative efforts of the entire team.
To bring our winning concept to life, I produced and recorded a working script that effectively illustrated the video concept we envisioned. This script served as a critical tool in conveying our creative direction, enabling stakeholders to visualize the narrative and emotional engagement we aimed to achieve through the campaign.
In addition to the script, I designed a ‘choose your own adventure’ style experience – using Twine – that demonstrated my interactive idea. This innovative approach not only engaged the audience but also allowed for a personalized interaction with the SAS Intelligent Decisioning product, showcasing its versatility and the various scenarios in which it could be utilized. This interactive element was crucial in setting our pitch apart from the competition.
A slide from the pitch deck that introduced the interactive experience
What were the results?
Our hard work and strategic creativity paid off, as we successfully won the pitch, and were awarded the creative project valued at £300K.
This victory not only solidified our relationship with the client but also reinforced our agency's reputation for delivering impactful and innovative marketing solutions within the B2B sector.
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