Burson-Marsteller Reviews

Pros

Great being part of a global PR firm with blue-chip clients

Cons

Consumer team never quite got off the ground

Pros

The Burson brand retains some cachet and rightly so - there's a good deal of interesting and challenging client work, some real experts, and a decent bench of senior leaders. There is also a real spirit of collegiality and a sense of shared purpose (at least in some offices), and good opportunities to travel and work across the network. Generally, people are proud to work at Burson, and with some reason.

Cons

Reactive strategic vision, with second-rate implementation - recent 'Being More' re-positioning being a notable example. More or less non-existent, (or certainly highly inconsistent) corporate culture. Very US-centric, with global leadership almost never visiting local offices outside the US. Very high local/regional payments to B-M HQ, supposedly for thought leadership and other support, with very little to show... for it. Relatively poor compensation for a major global agency. Too much basic, template-driven work for major global clients, provided at discount, resulting in bored and worse, fed-up staff, and local offices unable to make a decent margin. Inadequate and seemingly piecemeal approach to knowledge-sharing and professional development.

Advice to Management

As the communications/PR world changes, and the agency model with it, encourage and support risk-taking and innovation in terms of business model, product development etc. Think beyond the narrow confines of Washington and NYC, and put in place a genuinely global-minded management team. Give local offices more leeway and invest in/train senior management more thoroughly. Invest properly in professional development,... intellectual capital and knowledge-sharing.