How The Richards Group Can Keep the Business Going Amid Its Moment of Crisis

The agency's prospects are grim but not unsalvageable

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In early 2016, Campbell Ewald became embroiled in controversy after a white staffer at the agency’s San Antonio office sent an email in October 2015 inviting colleagues to participate in what was termed “Ghetto Day.”

The racist internal communication caught up to the agency with CEO Jim Palmer being terminated, handing the leadership reins to then-agency-president Kevin Wertz. In the aftermath, three clients—USAA (a major client in the San Antonio office), Edward Jones and Henry Ford Health Centers—abandoned

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