Rumor has it clients dictate some ad professionals' salaries

The Globe and Mail from Canada has an interesting article on the recent trend toward clients penny-pinching marketing budgets and demanding proof that ads are worth the price.

Andy Berlin, chairman and CEO of U.S. agency network Red Cell, said he has even heard of examples where clients are putting limits on how much an agency can pay its own employees.

"No longer are you in a marketplace where you're bidding for the best idea or the highest quality people," he said. "You're in a marketplace where you're making commodities out of all the ideas that are supposed to be differentiating."

Holy cow! That's crazy!

I'd be interested to find out what agencies and clients Mr. Berlin is talking about. One has to wonder whether or not it's making a difference with the quality of workers they are able to hire, and the work coming out of the agencies. As the old adage goes, "you get what you pay for."

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Anonymous Adgrunt's picture
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Dabitch's picture

...'scuse me sir, may I have a raise?

deeped's picture

Differentiating isn't always the big A-answer mister...

AnonymousCoward's picture

If I were a client, I wouldn't necessarily be thinking about salaries, but I would be thinking about why I pay so much and my agencies hire yachts at Cannes for parties.