Interbrand rethink brings staff cuts

Interbrand has confirmed it is making a tranche of staff redundancies from its London office this week, as the branding group puts in place a new-look strategy for the future. Sister group Innocence is unaffected by the redundancies, though it is looking for a creative director.

Interbrand chief executive Jez Frampton confirms that 12 jobs have gone at Interbrand, despite initial reports of a higher figure. None of the redundancies are senior, he says.

At the same time, and co-incidentally, Interbrand’s sister consultancy Innocence is looking to appoint a creative director to replace Mark Smith. Smith resigned last week to join Start Creative in May, where he will become joint creative director alongside the recently appointed Mike Dorian.

Frampton says the Interbrand redundancies are regrettable, but will enable the consultancy ‘to focus on its three core strengths of brand strategy and consultancy, design and creativity, and brand management.’ He adds that the consultancy is also now looking to put a renewed emphasis on ‘client relationship management’ and he plans to introduce his ideas internally before the end of the month.

A rethink of the group’s structure and organisation has been underway at Interbrand, following the departure of Tony Allen last November (DW 20 November 2003). Frampton is chief executive of both Omnicon-owned groups.

Frampton says he will be in a position to reveal within the next couple of weeks ‘a clear strategy going forward that’s about resetting what we’re about and how we are going into the future’.