A Comfortable Holding Pen for People Without Ambition
Pros
- A handful of genuinely smart, hardworking people—though most of them eventually leave - Well-known clients that should make for great work, if anyone there knew how to push it - Predictable hours if your only goal is coasting
Cons
- The much-advertised “high retention” isn’t a sign of excellence; it’s complacency. Many employees have little to no outside agency experience, and it shows. Processes are outdated, ideas are recycled, and mediocrity is treated as the standard. - Leadership avoids difficult decisions to keep everyone “comfortable,” which might be nice if you’re okay with being stagnant—but it’s career death for anyone who actually wants to grow. - Ambition and new ideas aren’t just unwelcome; they’re quietly stamped out. Push too hard for improvement, and you’ll either burn out or be dismissed as “not a culture fit.” - The “culture” is hollow PR. The second a client pushes back, all talk of values or integrity disappears. - Ownership’s political leanings are a bad look for anyone with even a basic grasp of strategic thinking—especially in a field that depends on science, credibility, and public trust. It’s hard to take a communications agency seriously when its leadership openly supports policies that undermine the very industry it profits from.
