Advertising firm Erwin Penland laid off an undisclosed number of employees across its Greenville and New York offices last week, citing changes in client demand.
The layoff affected a single-digit percentage of Erwin Penland’s workforce, which number 300 in Greenville and 100 in New York, according to Chief Client Officer Joe Saracino. The “layoff event” had more to do with market dynamics than changes to Erwin Penland’s client portfolio, he said.
“We’ve done a lot of traditional advertising over the years… and more and more clients are asking for more social, more digital,” said Saracino, who said the firm plans hiring decisions around its clients. “Last week was nothing to do with business lost.”
For example, one of Erwin Penland’s newest clients only wants digital and social advertising services, said Saracino. Announced last week, California beverage company Califia Farms enlisted Erwin Penland for its digital and creative projects. Another digital-heavy client will be luggage company Tumi, to be announced next week, he said.
“The calls we’ve been getting, the opportunities that are getting presented to us are also digital in nature,” Saracino said, noting that efforts to “modernize” the agency have been ongoing for two to three years. “It was us trying to get aligned more with what our clients are asking us for.”
Other Erwin Penland clients include Denny’s, Verizon, The UPS Store and L.L. Bean and Frye. While its Verizon business has had some “puts and takes,” said Saracino, it will remain a significant client in 2016. The reorganization did not include leadership or departmental changes.
“The foundation of the organization over the last couple of years has shifted to be more content and brand experience,” he said. “We’re trying to align our staff better.”
