Best Multinational Consultancy to Work For: Trimedia


A relatively young network—five years ago it was primarily focused on the German-speaking world—Trimedia has been forced to invest in internal communication and training to build a one firm culture quickly. With that in mind, Murphy visited every single office in the Trimedia network during the last quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 08, rallying the firm’s people around a new vision, mission, and brand. The firm also launched Trimedia Talent Factory three years ago, bringing together junior staff from various offices via e-mail and telephone to work together on simulated pitches, and in the past 12 months has stepped up its digital PR training. The firm is also expanding its own environmental initiative, piloted in the U.K., which includes 32 commitments under headings ranging from recycling to energy use to sustainable procurement. One respondent to our survey sums up the sentiment: “Trimedia has come such a long way in such a short space of time. The whole is definitely better than the sum of all the parts that have been brought together. We really believe we are going to challenge the establishment.”


Best Specialist International Consultancy to Work For: Johnson King


Anyone who has ever sat within a few hundred feet of the Johnson King table at our annual awards dinner knows that the firm is second-to-none in terms of its enthusiasm. And that enthusiasm is reflected in responses to our annual survey. “Johnson King is by far the best agency that I’ve worked for. The agency is full of creative, intelligent, hard-working, motivated, and above all else, fun, people,” says one respondent. Employees are particularly impressed by the commitment to professional development. “The company’s continued emphasis on training and support—at all levels from trainee to director—sets it apart from the competition and ensures that you trust everyone around you to do the best possible job.”


Best U.K. Consultancy to Work For: Mischief


Our Best U.K. Consultancy to Work For, Mischief scores particularly high marks when employees are asked whether their workplace is fun and whether they like the people they work most closely with, as well as on criteria related to bureaucracy and office politics, and while some respondents to our survey moaned about the money, its number one ranking suggests that big pay cheques are not the only factor in creating a great workplace. “Mischief is a vibrant and inspiring place to work,” says one employee. “We have an amazing team of very talented people who feel motivated to do great work. It’s by far the best agency I have worked in… and most of all, we have fun!” Adds another: “Everyone is really involved in how the company is run and where we see it going in the future, which means that the whole team has real drive and enthusiasm for the agency and our clients.” The bottom line: “We work hard but ensure that we are having fun at the same time. And we produce some amazing results for our clients as a result.”


Best Continental Consultancy to Work For: fischerAppelt


When we ask employees where they would want to work if they couldn’t work for their current agency, fischerAppelt consistently comes out on top among German firms. Maybe they are listening to current employees, who give the firm high marks for its commitment to professional development—for both trainees and future managers—and to team-building, including an annual three-day weekend offsite meeting. Employees describe the firm as “very well respected, a trendsetter within the industry” and insist: “I wouldn’t work in any other PR firm. Our firm is full of specialists who work very well together according to clients’ demands. I am one of those, and I would go back to the client side because I don’t think that I can find that kind of environment in any other PR firm.”