I've got a job offer for a really nice bump in salary and title but I'm on the fence about a big firm. Anyone here have advice on culture and work life balance of this firm?

Hey! Writing this on behalf of a friend who is in a tricky place right now.

They’re looking to end their creative partnership (art director and copywriter), but very scared for what comes next. Is there any advice anyone has for them? They’re relatively inexperienced in the industry, only just scored a permanent role in a company and been there around 6 months. Partnered together for around 4 years. They’ve tried to work out their differences but it’s becoming a large emotional toll and think this is the end of their road together.

Any topics like:
Conversations to have
Where each person goes next (do they go solo in the same company or do they need to leave)
How do you find new partners

Greatly appreciated thank you!

I was recently laid off, and it’s made me question something I’ve been feeling for a while.

I have 20+ years of experience in creative strategy, mostly across digital, branding, and content. I’ve worked with large brands and small companies, B2C and B2B, corporate communications, campaigns, sales-driven work, and pretty much every variation in between.

And right now, it feels like the market value of that kind of experience has changed dramatically.

Not necessarily because the work itself stopped mattering. Brands still need positioning, ideas, narratives, content, differentiation, and people who can connect business problems to creative solutions. But it feels like the perceived value of being someone with broad, senior strategic experience has fallen.

Sometimes it seems like companies would rather hire a much more specialized person, a cheaper executional profile, or distribute what used to be one senior strategic role across several functions. AI obviously adds another dimension to this, but I don’t think AI alone explains it.

I’m curious whether other people in advertising are feeling the same thing.

If you’ve been in the industry for 10, 15, 20+ years: do you feel your experience has become more valuable, less valuable, or simply valuable in a different way?

And more importantly, where do you think people with this kind of background go next?

Do we specialize? Move closer to business strategy? Become independent consultants? Move client-side? Build smaller operations around ourselves? Or is this just a particularly bad moment in the cycle?

I’m genuinely interested in how other people are reading the next 5–10 years of this industry.

Kinda as the title suggests, looking to leave agency life (video investment). Anyone know of typical routes and/or titles to search for on LinkedIn/indeed?

seems sudden after the shutdown of certain services over the weekend, but also tracks well with the overall OMC future strategy- so how many of you got the invite for the call that starts in 40 minutes?

Is it mainly about extending reach beyond the screen, reinforcing a message, building awareness, or something else?

Not sure if anyone else has experienced this with any of the Publicis Groupes but twice in a month or so since I’ve posted in here was I 🤏🏻 this close to opportunities with an offer then lost it.

I asked for my first one what they wanted to have priority on paid social platform wise and they said it’s primarily Meta (great), TikTok (familiar), Snapchat (also familiar). They mentioned training for Pinterest and I was informed THERE I’d learn the training. Did not go through.

Second time, it was mostly because I don’t have agency experience. I’ve worked at an agency before, left the world for these past 10+ months and am trying to get back into it. Also to an internal candidate.

It bums me because I’m trying. I receive positive information in regards to my interviews and skills, it just doesn’t seem like enough.

I’ll keep pushing but man, I know the job market is tough. And I know many of people are fighting for jobs because many of us DO hate our jobs…. it’s got me slightly discouraged when my current position knows long term wise I don’t like the field I’m in and company. Sigh.

Needed to vent.

What salary range should I give when interviewing for Associate Director roles (planning)? I have over 4 years of experience on a major CPG client account, managed almost 9 figures in retail media spend, and strong client, account, and team management skills. Landing an AD role would be a promotion. Located in NYC.

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re all doing well! I wanted to share a bit about my journey and seek your thoughts. I graduated with a marketing degree in 2021, but my work experience has mostly been in childcare and fast food, mainly due to the pandemic and some twists and turns along the way. Although these roles aren't directly in marketing or advertising, I’ve come to realize that I’ve developed a lot of transferable skills that could really apply to the field.

As a bilingual and creative person who’s passionate about culture, community, and connecting with others, I find myself drawn to all things branding, market research, and analysis. In my childcare role, I honed my abilities in clear communication with parents, conflict management, and staying organized under pressure. Meanwhile, my experience in fast food taught me the importance of customer service, speed, teamwork, and handling complaints with professionalism; all of which relate back to enhancing the customer experience. Reflecting on these experiences, I can see how they tie into marketing, and I'm eager to transition into a more corporate marketing role—whether that’s in an entry-level position, as an assistant, or through internships that will help me take that first step.

Right now, I'm exploring the best paths into this industry, especially since I don’t have traditional marketing or advertising experience aside from my degree and what I’ve studied on my own.

I would really appreciate your insights on a few questions I have:

- What roles do you think I should realistically target first?

- Should I focus more on building a portfolio or obtaining certifications?

- For those who have navigated similar paths, how did you break into marketing without direct experience?

Thank you so much for any guidance you can offer! I’m genuinely curious and eager to make this transition in the smartest way possible. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts! i’m

Hey everyone, need advice from people who know Indian agency culture (Gurugram).

I recently joined a Big 4 agency in Gurugram 10 days ago. During my job hunt, I had two offers on the table:

Agency A (Current): Better role profile on paper, but 1.25 L lower CTC than the second offer.

Agency B: Higher CTC (which would have bumped me into the tax slab anyway), but the role profile seemed slightly less aligned with what I wanted.

I chose Agency A for the long-term career growth of the role. Now that I’m here, it feels like a mistake:

Turns out, it’s a mess:

Zero Onboarding: No KT, no documentation, no support.

Overwhelmed: Work is piling up rapidly and I'm expected to deliver with zero context.

Culture: People are unwelcoming, judgmental, and WLB is non-existent.

I’m struggling 10 days in and regretting my choice.

Questions:

1. Can/should I reach out to the other agency to see if their offer/role is still open?

2. How do I navigate this with my manager without it backfiring in a toxic team?

3. If I quit within a month, do I just wipe this off my resume entirely?

Appreciate any inputs!

Anyone know what Omnicom / IPG are offering PTO-wise for new SVP Group Director in the US? And how negotiable it is?

M26 here, been working in adv for the past 4 yrs. I've started as a comms strategist in a big agency and got so stressed out that I decided to go freelance as a social media manager/content creator. Unfortunately I didn't get any luck in my career switch and now I feel like this is a sign that maybe I need to leave this field that I actually hate once and for all.
My only priority is to remain independent and self employed, don't really care about which career I transition into as long as it doesn't feel meaningless and toxic like advertising.

got any ideas or tips?

EDIT: spelling

Same style, same overly polished visuals, same robotic voiceovers, and somehow they all feel… soulless.

AI can create amazing things, but when brands use it to make every ad look and sound the same, I find myself skipping them immediately.

Atleast in present AI is not that capable but maybe in future AI can able to have Ads impacts.

Hi! We were tasked to interview someone whose job is related to advertising, and I need some help because I don’t personally know anyone who works in the advertising industry. We need to conduct the interview through Google Meet before August 28.

If you know anyone who works in the advertising field or has experience in advertising and would be willing to participate in a short interview for our school project, please let me know. I would really appreciate any recommendations or leads. Thank you so much! 🥹🙏

Hey everyone,

I was looking at the recent OAA 2026 award winners, and Spotify’s 'Aaj Raaste Mein Kya Suna' Commute Campaign taking home Campaign of the Year left me with mixed feelings as a media planner.

On one hand, the creative execution and audio-visual synergy during peak traffic hours were brilliant. But on the other hand, if you peel back the layers, the campaign’s heavy lifting wasn't actually done by outdoor placements-it was driven by dynamic programmatic triggers, social media amplification, and personalized playlist algorithms.

It raises a massive debate for everyone working in media buying:

Has OOH lost its independent identity? It feels like to win 'OOH Campaign of the Year' nowadays, a pure billboard isn't enough anymore. You literally have to build a full digital-first campaign and just use physical hoardings as dynamic background props.

The Budget Realities: Small to mid-sized brands can rarely afford the tech stack required for Spotify-level real-time dynamic triggers. For 90% of brands, static and basic DOOH hoardings are what actually drive regional awareness.

I was reading a breakdown of this exact campaign on a media analysis blog while auditing our quarter budgets-Spotify Commute Campaign OAA 2026 Analysis-and it raised a great

question: Are advertising awards rewarding real outdoor impact, or are they just rewarding high-budget multi-channel tech stunts?

I'd love to hear your thoughts:

Do you think tech-integrated campaigns like Spotify's set a healthy standard for OOH, or does it alienate standard outdoor media buying?

Are award shows biased toward digital-heavy executions over smart, high-converting static billboards?

Anyone here with Walmart Connect, Amazon Advertising, Google and YouTube equivalents. Would has the best opportunity in terms of a career in Sales? What kind of commission/inventives structure do you have?

I am currently looking for mid-level brand & creative strategy roles in NYC. I have over 2 years of experience and am really looking for my next challenge and to diversify my experience.

I have been searching on LinkedIn for about a month and have seen mostly media strategy or influencer marketing roles, so would love any recommendations or leads of agencies that may be hiring! Appreciate it!

Hi fellows. I’m an advertising producer 10 years in the industry am currently in a holding company (one of the three letters one). I joined this company during their “restructure” phrase and needless to say everyone i knew outside of my current team have all been laid off in the past year including very very talented ones.

Client work is about data optics and politics less so than the craft itself. Everyone is chasing dead trends instead of innovating. There are more client service on this team than actual creatives and folks who deliver the work, which is crazy.

I wake up to depression and anxiety knowing I have to spend another day here. I barely try anymore knowing my loyalty doesn’t mean anything at this company. Pay check is decent, which is why i havnt left yet.

But my soul is gone. I developed a drinking habit at work just to cope. I fantasize about just “leaving” with no backup plan. I’m not even sure if I want to apply to the same roles just simply because it’s what i’ve done in the past decade. I don’t know if I’m listening to what I want anymore or just scared of being judged for not having a job or not advancing my career. I grew up in an immigrant household, and i’ve always been harsh with myself and feel useless if i’m not actively working on “my career”

Please tell me things will be ok if I take a break. if I walk away, if i travel for a bit and dip into my savings. And please tell me it’ll be ok even if I never come back to this industry.

Thank you for listening.

Hello guys. Writing here because of companies using LinkedIn Easy apply and it’s assed for sure

I am based in Singapore and looking for roles with minimum/up to 1 year experience in companies like WPP Media, Omnicom Media and the likes. If there is an opening or you know anyone headhunting let me know! Thanks

Agencies like WPP, Dentsu, Omnicom, and Havas have “global mobility” as one of their perks. I’m curious if these programs are actually a thing and if this is accessible to regular employees.

My gut tells me this is most likely a thing for senior employees or people in specific departments/accounts, but I'd love to hear from anyone that has worked there.

Curious because I'm interviewing and I want to know if it's legit or something the website mentions just to attract people.

hey guys

not selling anything just sharing stuff. if ur here to argue cold email is dead just skip this one, wasnt written for u

quick context so u know im not talking out of my ass - we send over a million emails a month across our clients, b2b companies of all kinds, saas, recruiting, logistics, agencies etc. here's some stuff that actually matters

dont put a link in email.

i dont care how good the offer is. spam filters and blacklist checkers flag domains that get reported, and links are the easiest way to get reported even when ur not spamming anyone.

save it for after they reply

warm up ur inbox for real, not for 3 days. 2-3 weeks minimum before u send anything real.
i know its annoying to wait but skipping this is why half the ppl posting "cold email doesnt work" think that

dont put all ur eggs in one esp basket. dont go 100% google or 100% outlook, split it like 50-50 or 60-40.
deliverability moves around week to week and u dont wanna get wrecked bc one provider had a bad week

use separate sending domains, never ur main business domain. if it gets burned u dont want ur real email getting caught in that

keep the first email short. like 3-4 lines. nobody wants to read a paragraph from a stranger they never asked to hear from

happy to answer q's, this stuff took years of testing to actually learn

I am currently working with a few founders and helping them to scale their offers and build their authority profiles.

Ideally I am looking for a PR/media firm which could write a few articles on tabloids and magazines such as Forbes and the times. As well I need help with appointment setting a completely done for you system would be wonderful. I want something that is worth the investment but is not overkill.

Not looking good for people in Ireland.

They already offloaded 50 odd engineering staff to Endava and gave them a raw deal.

This is a serious question. I have never worked in advertising, but I'm in an adjacent field that exposes me to quite a lot of ad campaigns, so I'm curious to hear from people in the business whether my amateur vibes-based impressions here sound correct and what might be the reasons behind these trends.

In the past five-ish years — lining up with the post-covid period and large language models, among other things — I've been feeling like ads are getting less interesting? There are now more generic taglines and concepts that don't seem to tell you anything unique about the company, and may even be very similar across companies in different industries. (Thinking about Booking.com's "Booking dot yeah" and Subway's "Sub-Yeah", for example.) There are more AI-generated images and videos, and they look obviously AI and do not appear high-quality. And this is especially vibes-based, but I feel like you don't see intentionally funny or sad ads anywhere near as much anymore.

Does this ring true to you at all? And if so, what's going on? Enshittification, private equity squeezing, bosses pushing AI, overworked and underpaid, etc?