As everyone predicted and reported on, in the wake of the SC Johnson loss, Draftfcb Chicago has made some major cuts. The agency has announced that it’s let go of 10 percent of local staff (approximately 100) and has reduced its global workforce by three percent. Regarding the layoffs, which Draft says affects those at all functions and levels, the network’s global president/CEO Laurence Boschetto says, “With SCJ moving elsewhere, we naturally had to take a close look at our staffing levels to make sure they were aligned with current client needs. We had closed down many open jobs several months ago in the event that the SCJ decision did not go our way, and that has helped to lessen the impact of that decision.”
Boschetto continues, ““We consider ourselves a ‘human organization,’ one that deeply cares for the well-being of all our employees, even those for whom we don’t currently have a place in our company. That is why we wanted to help as many of them as possible get jobs within the industry. This will hopefully result in an easier transition for them and for the SC Johnson business. We realize that providing such assistance on the heels of a long, arduous review is certainly not typical, but it underscores why our Chicago agency has been named one of the best places to work in the city and state 15 times over the past five years.”