SAS logo

From leads to meetings: Accelerating pipeline with a full-funnel demand strategy

Man looking up at 3D cloud with lines and waves of connectivity in the background

Situation

SAS needed to drive net-new conversations with high-value enterprise accounts as it encouraged existing customers and new logos to modernize their analytics infrastructure with SAS Viya on Microsoft Azure.

With a complex product offering and a high-stakes buying committee, SAS needed real conversations with senior decision-makers—FAST. They turned to Knack to develop a global awareness, demand, and nurture program to acquire and convert highly qualified leads. 

SAS and Microsoft manufacturing industry email
SAS and Microsoft healthcare industry email

Insight

In enterprise B2B, campaigns that don’t lead to booked conversations don’t deliver. Knack identified a key opportunity: By mapping messaging and content to specific stages in the buyer journey—and incorporating conversion CTAs at every layer—we could shorten the gap between awareness and sales engagement.

Solution

We built a global GTM program designed for pipeline acceleration, not just lead volume.

Strategic components included:

  • Joint value proposition development to anchor messaging across SAS + Microsoft Azure

  • Industry-specific messaging tailored for banking, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail

  • Segmentation by persona and funnel stage to drive relevance
    and conversion

  • Sales-aligned nurture flows designed to warm up leads and deliver qualified interest

With a comprehensive strategy in place, Knack executed a precision demand program across multiple channels.

Key tactics:

  • Programmatic display & retargeting: To generate engagement from prioritized ABM lists

  • Content syndication: Delivering high-value assets, including a Forrester Total Economic Impact (TEI) report

  • Email nurture sequences: With CTAs to request demos, connect with reps, or download industry-specific infographics

  • LinkedIn conversation ads: Designed to simulate SDR outreach, prompting appointment requests

  • Sales playbooks: Enabling SAS teams to follow up with pre-qualified leads using role- and industry-specific value messaging

Thumbnails of two SAS LinkedIn posts
Thumbnails of pages from a digital playbook for SAS demand generation campaign

Success

This campaign was the start of an ongoing partnership (now in its third year) of delivering effective co-marketing campaigns and driving real results.

4

INDUSTRIES

6

COUNTRIES

3

LANGUAGES

1,500+

TARGETED LEADS DELIVERED

Additional case studies