DraftFCB shutting down Puerto Rico operation

Advertising agency DraftFCB is shutting down its Puerto Rico operation next month, leaving its 33 local employees out of work.

Employees were informed by a stateside executive who was sent down to deliver the bad news to the team of nearly three dozen in Puerto Rico.

The shutdown is slated for December 20.

Mercedes Negrón, DraftFCB’s general manager in Puerto Rico, confirmed the looming closure, which is tied to the company’s efforts to improve global efficiency.

“The company decided to reorganize to focus on markets with the most growth potential so the decision was made to close the local office,” she said.

In June of 2006, advertising conglomerate Interpublic Group of Cos. wed its marketing services unit Draft to FCB, one of the oldest ad agencies in the U.S. The union was named DraftFCB with Howard Draft as CEO and formed a new structure, which erased the lines that separated direct marketing and promotions from traditional advertising. It was the second jolt for FCB since the turn of the century. In 2001, True North Communications Inc., owner of FCB, formerly Foote Cone & Belding, merged with Interpublic to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Interpublic.

The agency had ranked among the top-10 agencies in size and creativity in the Puerto Rico market with core clients over the years including RadioShack, Coors Brewing Co. Sprint; Coca-Cola, Kraft, SC Johnson Wax, Honda/Bella International, Preferred Health and Domino’s Pizza.

Courtesy of Caribbean Business