Wieden+Kennedy Lays Off 20% of Portland Staff

Wieden+Kennedy, a renowned independent creative agency headquartered in Portland, announced that it will lay off 90 employees (or 20% of its Portland workforce) in a significant restructuring effort.

Confirmed by Wieden+Kennedy Portland President Jason White, the decision is aimed at better aligning the agency's operations with client requirements.

Wieden+Kennedy had a staff of approximately 440 employees in Portland prior to the layoffs.

Expressing the difficulty of making the decision, White stated:

"Layoffs are terrible. There’s no way to sugarcoat it [...] But, we’ve gotten to a place in Portland where we need to make changes to align better with how our clients work. Saying goodbye to any of our people is always a last resort, and we never make that decision lightly. Our focus right now is supporting everyone through this transition."

No More Layoffs After This

Contrary to speculation, the Oregon-based agency clarified that the recent layoffs mark the conclusion of their restructuring efforts, with no further layoffs planned.

As a result of these changes, the agency's New York office now claims the title of the largest within its independent network, boasting a headcount of 479 employees.

Wieden+Kennedy has experienced a wide variety of challenges in the past year, including account losses such as TurboTax in Portland and Duracell in New York.

However, the agency has also pushed its growth opportunities, securing new business with clients like genealogy company Ancestry in Portland and Nestlé-owned Coffee Mate in New York.

The agency's revenue has remained relatively stable at around $300 million in the U.S. over the past few years.

Edited by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang