Horrors

An unfortunate email blunder alerted Carat staffers that their jobs could be in peril, and shared with them the specifics on how they would be told of the news, reports MediaBuyerPlanner.

The media agency will restructure its US operations and plans an undisclosed number of layoffs — news that was shared with the entire agency via an email from the agency’s chief people officer. The email, obviously intended only for senior management, was obtained by AdAge.

The email contained talking points on how employees should be managed during layoff discussions:

If you would like to go home today and come back tomorrow to clean out your desk or office, you are free to do so. We would like you to meet with your manager following our meeting to transition your work. We will be communicating to your team today. Your manager will be contacting clients. We ask that you do not contact your clients to discuss this situation.

Carat's parent, Aegis Group, said last week that layoffs were coming, but hasn't specified how many. The documents don't divulge the number of employees to be cut, but they do say the agency will consolidate its buying team in NY and offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco will be affected.

"The restructuring and centralizing of the Buying and Research groups to New York from our other locations is a strategic move designed to strengthen the core of our business. We believe strongly that our clients will be better served by a centralized model and you will be hearing more about this in the days to come. […] we expect this move to drives [sic] collaboration, consistency and stronger leverage in the marketplace," the memo goes on.

The one specific of the restructuring that is mentioned in the memo is that the Spot, National, Radio and Print teams "will be working in collaboration together — sharing ideas, strategies and offering our clients strength in value through collaboration and negotiation strategies."

AdAge includes links to the Carat Restructuring Memo and the Carat Restructuring Communication Plan.

Carat's summer has been turbulent. It recently lost the Hyundai and New Line Cinema accounts. In June, executive VP Mitch Oscar of the Carat Digital Exchange informed users via email that Carat planned to Exchange down. Days later, Carat announced it would relaunch the Exchange with improvements.

The company also lost CEO David Verklin to Project Canoe, an advertising coalition of cable companies.