Rapid deployment of 29 marketing experts for AWS.
Challenge
As a leading cloud provider, Amazon Web Services (AWS) recognizes the importance of connecting with its community and showcasing its latest innovations. This is particularly true for re:Invent, its largest annual conference attracting tens of thousands of partners and customers globally for learning sessions, product rollouts, and updates on emerging technologies like AI.
With over 52,000 attendees joining both in person and online, re:Invent demands a vast amount of high-quality digital content. The conference features over 2,250 sessions and hands-on labs, all available on demand after the event. This requires a huge volume of website updates, presentations, localized materials for different regions, and supporting documentation to ensure a seamless experience for attendees during and after the five-day event.
To effectively manage the volume and complexity of digital assets for re:Invent, the AWS web marketing team needed to quickly assemble a large team of AEM content management, project management, and graphic design professionals. With a tight, two-month timeframe, finding the right talent with the necessary skills and cultural fit was a significant challenge. Hiring full-time employees was impractical; AWS needed a solution that prioritized quality, speed, and scalability while remaining cost-effective.
Solution
To address AWS's urgent business need, we quickly built a dedicated team of 29 specialized marketing and creative professionals. Our extensive network of over a million highly skilled talent allowed us to rapidly identify and onboard qualified candidates with proven AEM expertise. Crucially, our recruiters' inherent understanding of Amazon's culture—including their operational standards, core principles, and unique work environment—ensured we selected individuals who seamlessly integrated with AWS's existing teams. Simultaneously, we leveraged streamlined onboarding and talent management processes to deploy the team in record time.
This collaboration ensured the timely delivery of re:Invent content and drove significant business impact. It enhanced AWS's agility, allowing them to adapt to evolving demands and optimize resource allocation across multiple initiatives. Ultimately, our cost-effective solution provided the speed, scalability, and seamless integration AWS needed to meet critical deadlines and deliver exceptional results.
Results
Our collaboration with AWS resulted in a highly successful and well-received digital experience at re:Invent. The team of AEM content management experts we assembled brought valuable skills and a deep understanding of AWS's operational standards, ensuring seamless content delivery and governance within their complex digital environment. This enabled the timely execution of a vast range of deliverables, including website content, presentations, and localized assets, ultimately enhancing the experience for attendees. This success translated into significant benefits for AWS, including:
- Cost savings: By leveraging our services, AWS avoided the substantial costs associated with hiring 29 full-time employees. With an estimated annual salary of $91,500 per employee, this translates to millions in savings on salary, benefits, and onboarding expenses.
- Enhanced agility: Aquent's rapid deployment of skilled professionals enabled AWS to quickly adapt to evolving needs and deliver a more impactful re:Invent experience.
- Expanded partnership: The success of our collaboration on re:Invent has led to ongoing partnerships with other teams within AWS, demonstrating the value and trust we have built within the organization.
