The challenge & opportunity
As a global leader in consumer and B2B office solutions, Staples’ Easy® brand is known and trusted by customers worldwide. People everywhere depend on the company’s innovative products and services to meet their needs and improve their lives.

Creativity and innovation are behind Staples’ strategy for setting itself apart from the competition. Staples’ award-winning advertising has become a key advantage in an industry crowded with rivals. How does Staples foster creative thinking and continue to develop exceptional talent that produces great creative work?

The Ad Club {in} house solutions
In 2005, Staples Agency and Client Services began an in-house training initiative that has since grown to serve over 300 employees in the creative, account, production and marketing groups. Staples partnered with The Ad Club to tailor a range of programs to its unique environment and culture.

“The customized programs The Ad Club has delivered for us are stimulating and enjoyable. The results have far exceeded our expectations and accelerated the growth and productivity of our
talented people.”
– Director of Creative & Agency Operations

“We have seen tremendous benefits to the way we work with our business partners day to day because of The Ad Club training. The Account Management team has gained exciting new skills that help them improve the way they manage the creative process and the expectations of our business partners.“
– Client Services

“The external influence The Ad Club’s has brought in to our Creative Concepts classes, impacting everyone from junior to senior levels, has really raised the bar. There is a new energy around exciting creative work that enhances our brand.”
– John Zarba, Creative Director

The results & growth of {pd}
Early on it became apparent that participants would not only have to be committed to learning, but also have to learn to think differently in order to get to extraordinary results. The learn-practice-apply model used for in-house training at Staples' agency is largely successful because of the serious emphasis placed on lots of homework and assignments, teamwork, and formal presentations.

The agency's in-house training has included relevant programs for communications professional at all levels such as:

• Creative Concepts
  
• Valuing Strategy
  
• Adapting for Success & Teaming for Success
  
• Intermediate Creative Concepts
  
• The Power of Creative Strategy
  
• Advanced Creative Concepts
  
• Evaluating Creative

For more information about setting up in-house programs,
contact Clare Cox at 617.262.1100, x105.