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Religious roots As solid as the "Rock of Gibraltar" logo it designed for Prudential in 1896, J. Walter Thompson (JWT) has been a pioneer in the advertising industry since it was established in 1864. At that time, it was known as Carlton & Smith, and its specialty was advertising in religious publications. JWT was the first agency to develop artwork and copy for its clients, and its advertisements were the first to feature photography, recipes, and color pictures. JWT even introduced the first celebrity testimonial when it persuaded the Queen of Romania to endorse Pond's Cold Cream. World renowned After dabbling in television production, JWT became known in the 1960s for its international presence; it was one of the first firms able to help a client launch a product simultaneously in multiple countries. Now part of the WPP Group - a holding company that owns several other prominent advertising agencies - JWT serves high-profile clients such as Ford, Kraft, Motorola, Nestle, Citibank, De Beers, and Sprint. In addition to its main advertising operations, the company has several more specialized divisions, including Brouillard Communications, J. Walter Thompson Direct, and JWT Specialized Communications. Ranked high despite difficulties The last few years have been rather chaotic for advertising in general, with clients pulling accounts, often with no notice, at a record rate. But JWT has weathered the storm -- it was ranked as the No. 1 U.S. Agency Brand for 1997 by Ad Age, the most trusted news source in the industry. This despite the loss of accounts with Eastman Kodak and Sun Microsystems, Inc., and failures in reviews from assignments for Pepsi-Cola and the First Brands Corporation. It then launched the "Thompson Total Branding" program - a strategy that requires the cooperation of the creative, account, and media departments when pitching products. It also merged its media operations with that of WPP sibling Ogilvy & Mather to create a division called Mind Share. Company revival In the wake of all the changes in 1997, JWT president Susan Gianinno unexpectedly left the company in October of that year. Her departure wasn't necessarily mourned, though: there had been much grumbling among management about her allegedly poor management skills. Only days later, the chief creative officer for JWT North America -- another top female executive -- called it quits. Industry observers suggested that it was no coincidence she left so quickly after Gianinno's departure. Bob Jeffrey was hired to replace Gianinno in March 1998. Only three months after his arrival, the agency landed the $85 million worldwide Merrill Lynch account. According to the new leader, that win was only the first step in reviving the agency. The next came in the form of the advertising legend, Charlotte Beers, who was pulled out of retirement to become chairman in 1999. Chris Jones relinquished his chairman duties, and will continue in the role as CEO which he has filled since 1997. Beers is seeking out the most talented people within the industry to boost the JWT company. She also plans to expand the company's presence across Europe, and has landed a $40 million pan-European advertising business with Sweden's Kinnevik company. JWT also acquired Dazai Advertising in 1999, a global technology agency which will be renamed JWT Technology Communications Group. Clients of the company will include Internet companies, consulting services, and software clients. The company's hugely successful campaign for De Beers utilized several media, including television, print, and outdoor ads, but by far the greatest facet of it was the "Design your own engagement ring" program which allows visitors to the web site to pick stones, cuts, and bands for their rings. Thanks to JWT, site visitation jumped 62 percent in the first week.
With low employee turnover, openings at J. Walter Thompson are few and highly coveted. Applicants should consult the firm's employment web page for job openings. Each JWT office conducts its hiring separately, and some offices are able to accept resumes submitted via e-mail. Most resumes, however, should be mailed to the department of interest. "It's hard to get a job in creative unless you have experience or prepared for it in school," acknowledges an art director from a West Coast office. But insiders say there are other departments within the agency that you can get into without experience. Media (which handles placement of the ads), Account Management (the liaison between creative and the client), and Planning (research of the product and demographics) all have entry-level positions -- which are "truly stepping-stone jobs." "You'll work hard and not get paid well," admits one source, "but you can usually move out of this position within a year." Students or recent grads might also consider an internship with JWT -- the compensation may be "dinky," but it will definitely help you get your foot in the door. "If you ever want to apply to this or any other agency," advises one JWT insider, "I would send a resume on fun paper with an interesting typeface to the creative director. They can always forward it to the appropriate department."
Challenging and rewarding J. Walter Thompson is one of the "most storied firms in the industry," and employees say that JWT's "golden" client list makes their daily work "as challenging and rewarding as any in the industry." While the corporate culture ranges from "high-strung," "outgoing" creative departments to the more "understated" and "formal" financial professionals, employees say that these two sides of the firm "communicate better than at many other firms." The push to complete major projects often leads to "long," "frantic" workweeks. "But," employees say, "that's advertising." Dress is generally casual, "sporty or preppy up to more conservative depending on the department." Of course "Account and Media reps always dress appropriately for client meetings." Low pay but a 401(k) Insiders say the salary at JWT "is the same as any of the other big agencies, not too amazing and not too shabby." "We tend to get a lot of people right out of college," notes one insider: "They work there a couple of years, and unless they get good promotions, they take off for better pay or more creative ad shops." Employees are eligible for a raise every six months, and (in some offices) receive a profit-sharing bonus once a year based on the company's financial performance. While JWT is described as "not as creative as some of the smaller boutique agencies," insiders admit that there are advantages to working at a big corporation. Namely full health benefits, 401(k), and "a tiny bit of stock in J. Walter Thompson's parent company, WPP." On the flip side, one employee reveals a little inside information regarding WPP's influence on the agency: "Because J. Walter Thompson is owned by WPP, there is very serious attention paid to the bottom line. People are laid off or fired every six months in order to keep profits in line with 'headcount,' -- the number of full-time employees." Doing well in diversity As for diversity issues, employees at JWT give their agency high ratings. "Diversity is important here," says one insider, "and everyone is equally likely to be hired. It really comes down to experience and personality." As in most advertising agencies, women are well represented in the employee population, and "there is a very wide age range of people working here, which is nice." Employees note that the company's Worldwide Executive group is still all male, but insiders say there are many women in middle management.
Human Resources
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