Brand consultancy Interbrand went through a round of layoffs in the U.S. this week after parent company Omnicom announced plans to consolidate all related shops into a single group.
“In response to rapid changes in the market for brand consulting, with clients now requiring more and more specialized services, Interbrand is restructuring its business in the U.S. to ensure we have the right mix of skillsets to meet client demands,” an Interbrand spokesperson said in a statement. “That will initially result in a reduction in staff impacting less than 10 percent of our U.S. workforce.”
A source with inside knowledge of the Interbrand organization claims the layoffs primarily affected the New York office and that, one day before the announcement, employees received an email from CEO Charles Trevail written to reassure them about the possibility of such changes.
The agency spokesperson declined to comment on the email, though our source confirmed that the note went out earlier this week and that at least 10 people in the New York office have been let go across the strategy and new business departments.
Interbrand is a major employer with 21 offices in 17 countries around the world. Trevail replaced longtime CEO Jez Frampton on January 1 of this year.
Omnicom Group launched its Brand Consulting Group this week, integrating Interbrand, Hall & Partners, C Space, OurCreative, Siegel+Gale, Sterling Brands and Wolff Olins under one consultancy division.
It’s unclear whether Interbrand’s staffing reductions are related to the consolidation move.
Patrick Coffee contributed reporting to this story.