Pros
To start, I'm of the mind that a good majority of the negative reviews you read on here are from rather bitter ex-employees who may ultimately have these same problems and these same issues no matter where they go. Not all, but some. I often wonder if it isn't a generally pessimistic mindset that leads to these overly critical reviews. Further, it seems that only unhappy people write reviews, so I thought I’d chime in as a current employee. This will be long, as I feel I should address the concerns of some of the other reviews. BCF is a travel and destination branding and marketing agency, and, as is common with other agencies, agency life comes with a lot of pros. There is a relaxed culture. Let's be real, only on client meeting days will you find a tie, collar or heel in here. There is a clear effort, supported by the partners and leaders of the agency, to cultivate a culture of creativity. Employees are encouraged to pursue passions and often find that coworkers will join in and support those interests as well. As such, absolutely, friend groups are formed. When you work with a passionate and talented group of people, you're likely to find common interests and reasons to spend time together outside of work hours. On that, the hours are from 830-5. We are encouraged to complete work within those hours. If you're working overtime, your director/account sup knows why and you will be compensated as such. There is, with respect to getting work completed, leeway and room for needing to leave the office early or spend time working from home. Those are all options and partners/directors are more than willing to work to find a mutually beneficial compromise. And yes, we find ways to blow off steam – be that through a beer on a Friday or a movie night on a Wednesday - we do take time to kick back and unwind. There is also a lot of personal investment into the agency itself; people care about the culture here and invest in it, individuals take time to deck the halls of the office or put on/participate in chili-cook offs, dessert exchanges, etc. There is a lot of cross-departmental culture growth. What’s cool is that the leadership makes an effort to recognize employees for their good work through reward/recognition programs and invest in and actively support activities/office outings that support a cohesive culture. I'd argue that any time I've had a private office concern and have communicated it as such, it has been handled with all of the social grace and discretion that could be offered. Our office manager is incredibly professional, caring, thorough and thoughtful. BCF, being a travel & destination branding and marketing firm, gets to work with steady accounts that provide long-term based contracts, which is markedly different than project-based or contractual work for major brands. This line of work also allows for deeper, more rewarding relationships with the client and the product (destination), which ultimately fuels a passion for what it is that we do. Also, travel. It is very encouraged and celebrated at BCF. A good majority of us have some serious wanderlust. Yes, the partners travel. And yes, the President/CEO travels. In turn, they love to hear about our travels and encourage exploration. Location is great - right in the heart of an ever expanding and developing Town Center. I could go on, but should probably get around to digging into the cons.
Cons
No, the agency isn't perfect. Yes, it has problems - just like every other place of employment. I'd say, in general, we have a good amount of upper management and sometimes that means for a lot of cooks in the kitchen, which can affect things like when reviews happen (or their delay). The client-facing members are built out team-style on accounts, and that does mean for some segregation. Some teams are bigger and longer-standing and some are fresher. However, BCF is also broken out department style, meaning that you don’t only have your immediate team members to turn to. Though some clients/teams may be smaller, an effort is made to ensure that no man is an island. On these teams, there are levels of advancement. Given the smaller size of the agency, those steps may take a while to complete, but they're there. As is common in most agencies, given the opportunities for growth and career development, sometimes individuals find themselves ready to take on larger roles elsewhere and treating BCF as a step in their overall career. The agency is small, relatively speaking. There are about ~50 of us, which is tough sometimes when it comes to work load. This also contributes to slower upward-progression. However, it also means for a personal relationship with upper management (very uncommon in larger agencies) and an understanding/knowledge of singular value as an employee. It means that you matter. It means that your personal life issues matter, and that there is willing, caring individual to work with you when circumstances arise. Salaries and benefits… I’d argue that no one is in marketing for the salary (sans a few HUGE agencies’ CEOs). In the context of where we live and what we do, BCF offers competitive salaries. BCF is also very generous when it comes to benefits – above average, actually, specifically in health care benefits and retirement funds matching. You see, the cons depend on what it is you’re looking for in a company/job. I’d argue any day that the pros far outweigh the cons here at BCF.