Vantaggi
Client roster is excellent. Senior level clients are incredibly smart, focused and driven. Being independently owned allows the company to act for the long term and experiment, rather than focus so heavily on quarterly numbers. Mid-level staff (VP) and below are energetic, smart and genuinely seem to want to do the best they can.
Svantaggi
“Optics” far outweigh "results". Speaking for the West Coast, one of the most political environments I have ever seen. Riddled with managers who seem to have never managed before. Senior management – especially in general marketing disciplines (not traditional PR) – seem to think their job is to spend on lunches, drinks, hotels and to parade around losses disguised as wins (read: low budget, mid level, one time project work that loses money. Client retreats after underwhelming work due to poor setup and poorly managed expectations.) Incredibly poor hiring track record for key roles: Consistently hiring (and then within a year firing) the wrong people with the wrong skill sets who are given the wrong responsibilities and the wrong reporting structure. It’s damaging to culture, morale and the work every single time. Promotions and raises are predicted (accurately) based on social media posts of senior management’s after work drinking buddies. Very cliquey.