Eek, to answer your questions, I certainly don’t feel that anyone should be pilloried for trying & failing (for instance, here’s what we wrote about The One Centre, for instance: http://mumbrella.com.au/death-.....ustry-5771 )

However the issues with Topia were not identical to that case.

Cheers,

Tim – Mumbrella

(edited for legal reasons)

McCann Erickson is closing its Brisbane office, sixteen jobs will be lost. When the Brisbane MD gets a new job will Mumbrella report “failed MD gets a new job” – I don’t think so.

Is it a slow news day or something?

And is there actually any point to this story? I’ve re-read it a few times and still can’t figure out what it’s getting at.

Is this just insinuation disguised as reporting? Is Mumbrella becoming the ‘Who Weekly’ of trade journals?

Entrepreneurs can fail, agencies can fail; we know advertising is a difficult business.

Things can happen. Good people can get hurt and those responsible for running the agencies have to live with the burden.

And if you do make mistakes and if things do go wrong, what are we expected to do? Are we expected to give up? No, we learn lessons, we try to make amends and we move on.

Unfortunately, it seems that Mumbrella doesn’t want us to do that.

Here’s the thing. Most agency folk with a brain in their heads recognise that a client comes on board for the people in the team, not the experience of the agency.

“Yes it’s very nice that you’ve won Mumbrella’s Reader’s Choice Award, but what’s this I’ve heard about your new national business strategy director?” said potential client.

Regardless of the agency’s perceived industry success, clients generally start up and stay with an agency if they respect the individuals running their accounts.

Which poses a question for all you would be clients lining up to talk with SN about how you can become the next big thing…