Publicis CEO Loses Advertising's Game of Individual Immunity

So a new CMO took a gig at a brand and promptly proceeded to fire the agency his predecessor had hired. And the head of the jilted agency is upset? oh please. Get over it. This has been business as usual since companies stopped giving a shit about employees and work became a game of every man for himself.

There is no dedication any more. No employee loyalty. No corporate promises to employees. No pension plans. And no love lost when the door hits you on the ass after hearing, "your position is no longer available" or some other line of bullshit.

No. It's an all out war for personal survival. Everyone will now do anything to avoid being downsized and everything to insure they succeed and prosper. So it is without surprise GM VP of U.S. Marketing Joel Ewanick fired Publicis and handed creative duties for Chevrolet to Goodby Silverstein & Partners, an agency Ewanick has worked with before.

And it's also without surprise Publicis USA Chairman-CEO Susan Gianinno got a bit upset after having a $600 million account taken from her after having just won it about a month ago. But she didn't have to put her umbrage into an agency-wide memo, the style of which is guaranteed to be leaked to the press...which it was.

Oh sure, there used to be a thing called common courtesy and respect. There used to be decades-long client agency relationships. There used to be a team spirit that would engender a cohesiveness during times of challenge. No longer.

Tribal immunity is gone. It's all about individual immunity now. And all the mischievous conniving it takes to outwit, outlast and outplay anyone who might threaten your current position in the game of business.

The fact Ewanick job hops like he's riding a pogo stick and Goodby openly welcome Chevrolet without remorse is irrelevant. It's just business. Cutthroat business.

Advertising as usual.