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AKQA

Acquired by WPP

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Great Learning Experience, Bad Culture and Toxic Environment - Campaign Manager AKQA Employee Review

2.0
May 22, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You learn a lot respective to the silo you are under. For example, ATD is basically a crash course in the programmatic landscape.

Cons

The culture is very toxic, and the blame game is played very heavily. Metrics are blindly followed, and management does not know how to deal with employees. There are too many cooks in the kitchen, and everyone who has senior in their title likes to flex their proverbial muscles and micromanage. Things get pinned on you when they do not go right, even if you point out under-performance for months, and politics are played throughout each individual team. All of these factors make a very stressful work environment and you honestly do not want to return. There is very little room to get promoted, and the salaries are terrible. You very rarely get a promotion because teams are too crowded, and favoritism is played.

Explore other reviews about AKQA

5.0
Mar 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

solid people, remote work, good work

Cons

company is a little lost at the moment. struggling with profitability

3.0
Jul 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Design and Strategy teams on the west coast in 2021-2023 incredibly smart and strong in their craft. Overall it is hard not to be impressed with the output and some of what the brand can produce

Cons

NY and DC teams were unpleasant. Competitive fearful vibe compared to other creative and tech industries I have been in. My guess is because everything is based on what accounts and projects they can capture and during this time tech accounts were pulling out of further business as their markets slowed. WPP (the parent company) began lay offs and shuttered whole agencies exasperating this.

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