Pros

It's a great place to get a taste of advertising

Cons

As with other advertising agencies, there are many wanting to get into Cossette. And the company is very well aware of the fact. Be prepare to stay long if you want to advance.

Advice to Senior Management

Being 'convergent' isn't about having 5 different types of agencies under 1 roof - something different, innovative should be it

Pros

Working here is a great introduction to the world of advertising in North America. You get to see the bowels of a top-tier agency and all its inner workings. You'll either thrive, or fight to survive. Either way, you will know after 1 year here whether this industry's for you, or whether you need to find a cushy government job instead.

Cons

Cossette is an impersonal behemoth that can appear to eat its young.

Advice to Senior Management

Shift your focus from global domination to soulful ad shop, and go back to your roots.

Pros

Large enough to compete with the big guys and win good accounts but not so huge that employees disappear under too many layers. Opportunities for growth that may not be available in the enormous agencies. One of these days they've got to figure out how to translate their strong position in Canada to the rest of the world. Many of the companies they're AOR for in Canada have big operations elsewhere in the world. Not a lot of structure in digital, so you can more or less blaze your own trail if you work on that side. Also, many Canadians have funny accents; "when I was in Ot-tow-waaaah."

Cons

Dominant in Canada but hasn't been able to spread the juice to the US. Definitely not an A-list player in any market.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more aggressive when going after new business. There's nothing to lose by making bold pitches and shaking things up since you're a pipsqueak in the US. Canadian interactive people probably shouldn't be be so prevalent in the US.

Pros

Big name clients and generous vacation time. If you're willing to put up with low pay and a lack of respect for a few years, you'll inevitably be promoted to a job that won't be so challenging and will allow you to live out the rest of your existence in relative peace for a living wage.

Cons

Overwork and a major lack of respect towards junior employees. Low pay. It seems like skilled employees leave and leftovers get promoted if they wait around long enough,

Advice to Senior Management

Take a look at the high turnover in certain departments and let your alarm bells ring. Spend less on big parties and cab chits and pay people decently. Actually review timesheets and consider workload distributions.