Working in an integrated agency has its pros and cons.
On the upside, there is the opportunity to think media/discipline/channel neutral (and really mean it). To actually recommend what is in the client’s best interests. To take learnings from one discipline’s activities to another via a chat in the office kitchen rather than a tense powerpoint-at-dawn inter-agency meeting.
But there is always the battle to ensure that every team is working to the same standards and that resource is fairly shared amongst them. To ensure that the quickie dipstick research done by one team upholds the standards of the Research specialism or that the Retail account gets as much support as the Consultancy project.
Working as a Planner in an integrated agency comes with inter-departmental Quality Control responsibilities. Which means that you are never going to be everyone’s best friend, but you might gain a bit of extra respect along the way.