DDB Empowers Global Offices Through Web with SAS

SAS Institute, a leader in data warehousing and decision support, announced that DDB Worldwide, the largest ad agency in the United States, is using SAS software to better understand customer connections to brands worldwide.

DDB's Brand Capital and Life Style consumer research projects are backed by a range of SAS e-Intelligence software and services that manage, analyze and warehouse data from consumer research surveys. Through SAS software, global offices gain insight into customers, as well as the effects of advertising over time, so agency staff can advise clients on advertising strategies.

"Only SAS could handle all of DDB's needs, including demand for sophisticated econometric analysis and the ability to build customer applications," said Doug Hughes, senior vice president of strategic planning at DDB Worldwide. "Using our SAS-powered applications, hundreds of marketers worldwide get the information needed to develop strategies based on quantitative analysis rather than intuition."

DDB uses many SAS solutions, including SAS/IntrNet, which Web-enables business intelligence and delivers it into the hands of decision-makers. Agency employees simply log into DDB's intranet to order desired reports through easy- to-use pull-down menus. No programming is required to access this intelligence, so reports that took days to produce now require less than a minute. As a result, DDB delivers results to clients faster and maintains its superiority in the highly competitive field of advertising.

Now, with SAS e-Intelligence, DDB marketers directly access business intelligence reports that help them develop winning advertising strategies for clients. The result is an unmatched ability to market global brands with localized advertising campaigns that resonate with consumers in every country. DDB executives say that SAS insights help ensure continued commercial success for their clients, reinforcing DDB's position as a creative powerhouse. DDB uses SAS to determine advertising effectiveness. In a media-frenzied world, DDB can show optimal levels of media weight and bottom-line effects of alternate media plans. SAS lets DDB use econometrics, the "gold standard" in measurement, to determine how a client's marketing program affects sales.

"SAS is committed to helping customers like DDB understand client markets," said Jim Davis, director of worldwide marketing at SAS. "The power of SAS is virtually limitless in its capability to uncover behavior patterns and predict future needs."

About DDB

DDB is the largest advertising agency in the United States and the third largest agency worldwide (based on consolidated gross income). The agency has 206 offices in 98 countries and is acknowledged as the industry's most creative multinational network, based on its dominance of advertising award competitions.

About SAS

SAS is a world leader in e-intelligence software and services, enabling its customers to turn raw data - including the vast quantity generated by e-business - into usable knowledge. Software from SAS, one of the world's largest privately held software companies, is used at more than 33,000 business, government and university sites in 110 countries. SAS' 1999 revenues totaled $1.02 billion. For more information, visit www.sas.com.