Copywriting - SABIC

Their recent annual report was just the latest in a series of projects for SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation - essentially Saudi Arabia's entire downstream manufacturing industry) that goes way back to the late 90s, when we wrote the rebranding guidelines that underpinned their visual transformation from cluttered to crisp.

Tough challenges well met
The year 2009 was one of tough challenges, but challenges that were well met.

Against a backdrop of worldwide economic turbulence, SABIC turned in a very creditable performance – with production up by 4 percent and sales quantities up by 5 percent. Though profitability was severely affected by the dramatic weakening of prices due to the world economic downturn, overall the year’s performance was remarkably strong and testifies to the abilities of our global workforce to perform under pressure.

Our success represents a powerful vindication of the strategy we have pursued consistently and resolutely over recent years. We have acquired operating units carefully and effectively, to build our capabilities and geographical presence, steadily developing into a global leader. We have worked hard to improve our business processes. We have invested in new plant and distribution facilities, to exploit growing demand more effectively. And we have invested in our people, in the belief that their talents and their dedication are key to our future.

We have set for ourselves a clear and far-reaching ambition: to become the world’s preferred leader in chemicals. To achieve success on such a scale will demand a large commitment – of capital, expertise, and sheer hard work. Much of the necessary groundwork has been put in place over recent years: our acquisition of key assets overseas; our steady progress toward our bold 2020 strategy; and, not least, SABICLearning and our many other investments in the skills and capabilities of our workforce.