One thing that has annoyed me about every single agency I’ve worked for is that the office has looked like a cross between a teenager’s bedroom and an explosion in a paper factory. No matter how smart or scruffy the actual building and furnishings were, it was still a bombsite. I’ve been to lots of … Continue reading creative environment or can’t be arsed?
Category: agencies
In slashing grad recruitment, are we creating a future skills gap?
It has been clear over the last six months that intelligent, eminently employable graduates wanting to enter the communications industry are really struggling to find jobs. I know of several really bright 2008 graduates who are still plugging away at part time jobs while trying to find a way into our industry. It is not … Continue reading In slashing grad recruitment, are we creating a future skills gap?
It’s not as if everyone sitting round the agency boardroom table has an MBA
One of my friends is a vet and she was telling me today about the special business skills for vets course she’s taking because “you’d be amazed how many vets end up in charge of large practices without any idea of how to run a business”. I said that sounded pretty familiar actually. Just because … Continue reading It’s not as if everyone sitting round the agency boardroom table has an MBA
the letters we sometimes wish we could send
Re-reading Victoria Routledge's chick-lit debut Friends Like These, I found the most brilliant letter from the heroine PR exec to her client: Dear Miranda, I am delighted to enclose the proof of your Spring/Summer promo brochure. We are thrilled with the finished version and hope you will love it as much as we do. Everyone … Continue reading the letters we sometimes wish we could send
Clients behaving badly
New Business is turning into a bit of a farce at the moment. A client I pitched for in November (who announced within 24 hours that we were down to the final two agencies) let us know today that they’d finally made the decision to appoint the other lot. That’s three months it took them … Continue reading Clients behaving badly
Are you saving them money?
We are officially in recession, the economy is nose diving and there’s no question that clients have got less money to spend. Unless you happen to work in Digital (where every agency I know is still turning work away because they’re too busy), it’s looking a bit bleak. I’ve already written about how as Planners … Continue reading Are you saving them money?
Because life’s too f*****g short
I ended up on Creative Director Dave Trott’s blog today. His latest post recounted him bollocking (his words) an account handler’s boss because the account man hadn’t found out why the client wouldn’t buy some ads he’d presented. As I understand it, the discussion mostly consisted of him shouting and swearing at the account handler’s … Continue reading Because life’s too f*****g short
And on your left, you’ll see Production…
Two or three Agency Tours make their way past my desk every day. New clients, new business prospects and interviewees are all escorted round the agency because look!, some desks! and people! and we have computers and recycling bins and everything! Um, I'm not quite sure what that person does but come and meet someone … Continue reading And on your left, you’ll see Production…
Worried? You should be.
Worried about the economy or think its all a lot of hot air? A couple of months ago I would have said that we were in danger of talking ourselves into a recession, now I think its clear that we are in for one whether we like it or not: Manufacturing output fell for the … Continue reading Worried? You should be.
Would you follow them?
I’m due to meet up soon with my old Planning Director from years ago. He’s completely changed industries, but I always thought that if he ever opened his own agency, he’s one of the few people I’ve worked with that I’d seriously consider following to a start-up. I suppose it’s the ultimate test – do … Continue reading Would you follow them?