Changes at Drake Cooper

Or, a more polite way of saying that the staff size at Drake Cooper has decreased a bit.

A couple of weeks ago, word reached us that there had been layoffs at Drake Cooper.  Of the staff listed on their website, two full-time and one part-time had been let go.  A fourth, a limited-term contractor, also had their project scaled back at the same time.

I had a chance to trade messages with CEO Jamie Cooper about these changes, and he confirmed that they had made cuts, and also provided a little insight into the reasoning behind it:

Slower start to 2009 after a very strong 2008. No big changes other than the economy finally catching us a bit. The other thing I would mention is these moves are also reflective of the change to more digital work in our shop. Our client work in the digital realm (all sorts of work – not just websites) is growing quickly and our staff adjustments need to support that growth.

As has been the case with others, this is an unfortunate reality of the business environment that we’re in.  To those who were affected, give us a shout and we’ll get you listed in the Available Talent section of the website.

I fully expect that Drake Cooper, and other agencies that have gone through the layoff process recently, to bounce back in the near future.  As I’m sure many would agree, I look forward to once again writing about new hires and seeing a rash of job openings in the industry.

5 Replies to “Changes at Drake Cooper”

  1. Brian and anyone else reading –

    I would be happy to give references for these people. All very good at their respective areas of marketing.

    -jamie

  2. Things are tough out there. I was working at Scott Peyron & Associates until he had to lay everyone off in January. All he has left is himself and his sister working on accounts. Nobody on his website is current. I also think he has Deanna Ward left, but she is a contractor. Sad to see that shop going belly-up, too. Wonder what the future of pr and ad agencies are in Boise? Hope things come back soon.

    1. Bill, I don’t believe I’ve made your acquaintance, let alone been your employer. People of your character — lowly rumor-mongerers who hide behind pseudonyms — could never make the cut at Peyron. Our clients tend to stay with us for years, and we CURRENTLY are involved with multi-nationals and other organizations whose average tenure with the agency is many years. Those informed people who have had the misfortune of stumbling across your posts know how much credibility you have.

      — Scott

  3. Ha! At first I thought you were serious Tom, but then I got it. You are not a kool-aid drinker and I always forget about your sharp sarcastic mind and wit. Bill seemed to be sympathetic and Peyron lashed out at the poor guy. Anybody wonder what an average tenure of many years equals? Bottomline. I don’t wish SP any ill-will. He’s kind of the great-grandpa of Boise PR. Got to give him a little credit for that BILL. The real lesson here is about transparency.

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