Get real. If true, this is just HR & security taking care of business. If this, or something similar like being escorted out of the building, hasn’t happened to you, perhaps you’ve never worked anywhere big enough. You’re not doing yourself any favors with these naive posts that simply reveal your lack of agency experience.

Get real. If true, this is just HR & security taking care of business. If this, or something similar like being escorted out of the building, hasn’t happened to you, perhaps you’ve never worked anywhere big enough. You’re not doing yourself any favors with these naive posts that simply reveal your lack of agency experience.

panicbutton,

You know nothing about me… I however just got done reading your resume… you really shouldn’t start shouting “lack of agency experience” … trust me on that… you look like an idiot….

out of professional courtesy and because of the fact that your real e-mail address isn’t normally publicly available I won’t note who your real name is, though you did provide it with your e-mail address when you posted.

Several your former employers (boy do you have several) outsource part of their clients account to the agency that I own.. you know the one that I have “lack of agency experience” with… and in at least one case… your CURRENT client outsources some aspects of SEO and SMO to my agency…… so it appears that your clients don’t share your view that I have lack of agency experience…

However thanks for making my day…..

panicbutton,

You know nothing about me… I however just got done reading your resume… you really shouldn’t start shouting “lack of agency experience” … trust me on that… you look like an idiot….

out of professional courtesy and because of the fact that your real e-mail address isn’t normally publicly available I won’t note who your real name is, though you did provide it with your e-mail address when you posted.

Several your former employers (boy do you have several) outsource part of their clients account to the agency that I own.. you know the one that I have “lack of agency experience” with… and in at least one case… your CURRENT client outsources some aspects of SEO and SMO to my agency…… so it appears that your clients don’t share your view that I have lack of agency experience…

However thanks for making my day…..

sorry, founder, panic has it right, even if he was a bit of a dick about it…

my boxes will be mailed to me along with posters, photos, what-not…AFTER ogilvy checks that i’m not stealing a laptop or tape dispenser… standard procedure, actually… thankfully i won’t be “escorted” out of the building by security, saving some shred of dignity, but god, what an awful time to be cut!

sorry, founder, panic has it right, even if he was a bit of a dick about it…

my boxes will be mailed to me along with posters, photos, what-not…AFTER ogilvy checks that i’m not stealing a laptop or tape dispenser… standard procedure, actually… thankfully i won’t be “escorted” out of the building by security, saving some shred of dignity, but god, what an awful time to be cut!

the lower depth

Are they idiots? They should of given you a raise.. not an pink slip…

Does parker know yet? He will shit if you tell him….

the lower depth

Are they idiots? They should of given you a raise.. not an pink slip…

Does parker know yet? He will shit if you tell him….

Morale is already low, you want 150-300 people walking around, packing, and carrying boxes out of your office building? No. panic and lower are correct.

Morale is already low, you want 150-300 people walking around, packing, and carrying boxes out of your office building? No. panic and lower are correct.

ok you guys might be right.. I still wouldn’t handle it that way for my firm… I still feel that treating humans like humans will earn you respect…

If shit was looking bad for my firm… I’d let the employees know.. If there will be layoffs… counter to every book and expert I heard… I’d still let the employees know…

Just under 10 years ago… during the .com crash.. my former firm had mass layoffs… but rather than doing this shit… they told everyone that the company is going to be having mass layoffs… you’ll be given 2 weeks notice… but you are still free to come in and use the computers and whatever tools the firm had to help secure you a new job for 2 weeks AFTER to layoff date, in other words roughly a month.

You’re boss was instructed to write you a personal letter of recommendation if warranted..

about a 1000 people worked at the firm, nearly 300 were laid off… still about 150 of them came in and took the offer… they walked around for a few days.. collected letters of recommendations… used the machines to send out resumes (remember at the time most people still had dialup and the company offered high speed internet).

The company also created a new domain name, and gave all the employees e-mail access to it so that they could use it as their “job hunting e-mail address”.

There was not one incident of trouble… and because everyone had prior understanding of the dire straights the company was in… it was all the better for the employees.

hey that might of been a differing industry at a differing time… but it worked then and they were treated with respect.

ok you guys might be right.. I still wouldn’t handle it that way for my firm… I still feel that treating humans like humans will earn you respect…

If shit was looking bad for my firm… I’d let the employees know.. If there will be layoffs… counter to every book and expert I heard… I’d still let the employees know…

Just under 10 years ago… during the .com crash.. my former firm had mass layoffs… but rather than doing this shit… they told everyone that the company is going to be having mass layoffs… you’ll be given 2 weeks notice… but you are still free to come in and use the computers and whatever tools the firm had to help secure you a new job for 2 weeks AFTER to layoff date, in other words roughly a month.

You’re boss was instructed to write you a personal letter of recommendation if warranted..

about a 1000 people worked at the firm, nearly 300 were laid off… still about 150 of them came in and took the offer… they walked around for a few days.. collected letters of recommendations… used the machines to send out resumes (remember at the time most people still had dialup and the company offered high speed internet).

The company also created a new domain name, and gave all the employees e-mail access to it so that they could use it as their “job hunting e-mail address”.

There was not one incident of trouble… and because everyone had prior understanding of the dire straights the company was in… it was all the better for the employees.

hey that might of been a differing industry at a differing time… but it worked then and they were treated with respect.

yeah, george knows… thanks… but the humanity you speak of (and i’ve been there before) is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. i posted a link to bnet.com that (quoting the Gaurdian) says the layoffs will hit (WPP) groups where salaries are more than 60% of revenue… against those cold statistics, humanity and respect will not fare very well…

yeah, george knows… thanks… but the humanity you speak of (and i’ve been there before) is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. i posted a link to bnet.com that (quoting the Gaurdian) says the layoffs will hit (WPP) groups where salaries are more than 60% of revenue… against those cold statistics, humanity and respect will not fare very well…

Founder,

The issues of boxes and such are about managing large scale risk, by a public company. Having people hang around saving money with a self-serve outplacement server is not the way to reduce risk or manage morale. While it’s nice that you found the experience settling, I don’t believe that’s typical.

As should be evident from my regular postings, I think this situation is horrible. But, it is also not unexpected. Why do we call them BDA’s? Why do we yank-our-own-chains about being Ad-Ho’s? THESE are exactly the people we’re always talking about. WE are the folks that simply checked-out of the BDA’s earlier than they did.

Every person experiencing this has my full and sincere sympathies. I bleed Red. While I’m no fan of a few folks at the top, many of them more than earned my respect over the years. If they called tomorrow, I’d answer it.

The business is in upheaval. Unlike some folks, I do not believe SEO & SEM are the answer, let alone panacea; I consider such steps the stumbles towards change.

In order for BDA’s to heal themselves, they’ve had to reach the depths of despair. And there is nothing the overworked folks in the bowels of the organizations could do to prepare let alone change this fact. Keep in mind the words of CS Lewis from That Hideous Strength:

“Emergency regulations,” said Feverstone. “You’ll never get the powers we want at Edgestow until the Government declares that a state of emergency exists there.”

“Exactly,” said Filostrato. “It is folly to talk of peaceful revolutions…but until there is the disturbance, the firing, the barricades-no one gets powers to act effectively. There is not enough what you call weight on the boat to steer him.”

So, the time for change has come.

Frankly, I fear that this sentiment is beyond advertising and one which our entire nation must embrace. And I hate it.

Yet my expectation is that Ogilvy conducted these layoff’s by taking the highest road available to it under the circumstances. Of course, I may be all wrong as I wasn’t there. I do know some of the players well enough to trust them to do their best. I know they waited until the holidays were past. They did it on a Tuesday. They’re providing a semblence of dignity through details like mailing boxes and random selection. Some top layers should be shed, but I’m guessing that contracts are under review.

Fwiw, my expectations are not the same of the other brands in the WPP stable. For the sake of those walking in their doors tomorrow, I pray I’m wrong.

Founder,

The issues of boxes and such are about managing large scale risk, by a public company. Having people hang around saving money with a self-serve outplacement server is not the way to reduce risk or manage morale. While it’s nice that you found the experience settling, I don’t believe that’s typical.

As should be evident from my regular postings, I think this situation is horrible. But, it is also not unexpected. Why do we call them BDA’s? Why do we yank-our-own-chains about being Ad-Ho’s? THESE are exactly the people we’re always talking about. WE are the folks that simply checked-out of the BDA’s earlier than they did.

Every person experiencing this has my full and sincere sympathies. I bleed Red. While I’m no fan of a few folks at the top, many of them more than earned my respect over the years. If they called tomorrow, I’d answer it.

The business is in upheaval. Unlike some folks, I do not believe SEO & SEM are the answer, let alone panacea; I consider such steps the stumbles towards change.

In order for BDA’s to heal themselves, they’ve had to reach the depths of despair. And there is nothing the overworked folks in the bowels of the organizations could do to prepare let alone change this fact. Keep in mind the words of CS Lewis from That Hideous Strength:

“Emergency regulations,” said Feverstone. “You’ll never get the powers we want at Edgestow until the Government declares that a state of emergency exists there.”

“Exactly,” said Filostrato. “It is folly to talk of peaceful revolutions…but until there is the disturbance, the firing, the barricades-no one gets powers to act effectively. There is not enough what you call weight on the boat to steer him.”

So, the time for change has come.

Frankly, I fear that this sentiment is beyond advertising and one which our entire nation must embrace. And I hate it.

Yet my expectation is that Ogilvy conducted these layoff’s by taking the highest road available to it under the circumstances. Of course, I may be all wrong as I wasn’t there. I do know some of the players well enough to trust them to do their best. I know they waited until the holidays were past. They did it on a Tuesday. They’re providing a semblence of dignity through details like mailing boxes and random selection. Some top layers should be shed, but I’m guessing that contracts are under review.

Fwiw, my expectations are not the same of the other brands in the WPP stable. For the sake of those walking in their doors tomorrow, I pray I’m wrong.

does anyone know which office ….NY or Chicago or both?

does anyone know which office ….NY or Chicago or both?

I can confirm offices in California and New York got nailed… I am getting unconfirmed reports that other offices got hit equally (according to percentage of staff) across the board.

I can confirm offices in California and New York got nailed… I am getting unconfirmed reports that other offices got hit equally (according to percentage of staff) across the board.

My 2 Cents worth - - Panicbutton, you were out of line. I’ve been Pres. of 3 going, blowing agencies and sending folks packing (with box to follow) straight out the door is uncalled for. - no matter the size. Ad agencies aren’t a threat to the markets (really) or homeland security. We’re just small businesses compared to most of our clients. Merrill Lynch might need to take these tactics. WE don’t. And, I assure you, Panicbutton, I’ve got a lot more trime & experience in the industry than you do.

My 2 Cents worth - - Panicbutton, you were out of line. I’ve been Pres. of 3 going, blowing agencies and sending folks packing (with box to follow) straight out the door is uncalled for. - no matter the size. Ad agencies aren’t a threat to the markets (really) or homeland security. We’re just small businesses compared to most of our clients. Merrill Lynch might need to take these tactics. WE don’t. And, I assure you, Panicbutton, I’ve got a lot more trime & experience in the industry than you do.

Thanks David… I honestly feel that treating people like people will earn you far more respect than treating them like employee number #3992211

Thanks David… I honestly feel that treating people like people will earn you far more respect than treating them like employee number #3992211

Ogilvy, Ogilvy Interactive, OgilvyOne in Milan handing out pink slips now as we speak…sorry fellas.

Ogilvy, Ogilvy Interactive, OgilvyOne in Milan handing out pink slips now as we speak…sorry fellas.