Weber Shandwick Collective Cuts 20 Jobs Globally Amid Industry Challenges

Major Layoffs at Weber Shandwick Collective

NEW YORK: The Weber Shandwick Collective has laid off approximately 20 staffers globally. This reduction impacted employees at its flagship firm Weber Shandwick and Resolute Digital, as confirmed by a spokesperson.

Additional agencies within the network include Cappuccino, Current Group, KRC Research, Flipside, Powell Tate, Prime, That Lot, and United Minds.

Former account director Laura Bauer shared on LinkedIn last week that her role was “one of the latest of the many layoffs across the marketing, PR, and media industries.”

Weber Shandwick had previously enacted layoffs last March, letting go of another 20 people in its New York and Chicago offices as part of a “strategic assessment.”

Broader Industry Context

Other firms have also been reducing their workforce since the start of Q4 2024. In December, rival agency Edelman let go of 5.3% of its workforce, equating to 330 employees, due to an anticipated 8% revenue decrease in the U.S. and 3% globally.

The Weber Shandwick Collective is part of the Interpublic Group's network, which also includes Dxtra Health and agency brands such as Golin, Current Global, and DeVries Global. This unit has seen low-single-digit growth in Q4 and throughout 2024, with IPG reporting an overall organic net revenue decrease of 1.8% for Q4 2024 to $2.9 billion.

Following a recent earnings call, IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky sent a memo addressing the company’s “current business situation” ahead of its planned acquisition by Omnicom. This merger is expected to create the world’s largest marketing services holding company with projected annual cost savings of $750 million.

Office Closures and Structural Changes

This month, Weber Shandwick confirmed the closure of its Minneapolis office after over three decades, opting for a hybrid model. The Minnesota staff of about 30 will now share office space with IPG sister agency Carmichael Lynch for in-person collaboration.

The Dallas office will also adopt a hybrid model, sharing space with IPG sister agencies. Central region president Sheila Mulligan oversees the Weber Shandwick Central region, which includes markets such as Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Minneapolis, and St. Louis.

Despite these challenges, the Weber Shandwick Collective reported a 6% revenue increase to $970 million globally and $580 million in the U.S. for 2023 according to PRWeek’s Agency Business Report 2024.