Evil Business, But Good For Business

I am only referring to the St. Louis advertising industry in this post. Because maybe it's going on elsewhere. It might even be going on here, but I don't think it is.

What am I talking about?

Agencies using the down economy and the mass of unemployed agency folks to trade up in talent.

Say at agency X they let go art director Y. What if art director Y is more talented than art director Z at agency A? It would seem logical that an agency now could easily get newer fresh talented people. Sure they would be doing some shady evil business by ditching some current people, but business is business.

So maybe this is going on but since it is kinda scummy in many ways, it's been kept so quiet that people just don't know. So do you know of anything like this going on? And I am only talking about and equal trade, not a place that cuts a CD and ads 3 ADs for the same price.

While the thought of this may be unfair, it is a very talent based industry. And it's also very much you are only as good as your last idea or piece of business that you've won.

It could also prove to be that if a place loaded itself with the best and brightest that they could it could more easily make it through these tough times and be able to grow their business.

Because I don't think here is an agency around where I know someone who hasn't brought up sub par co-workers, who they question how they still have a job.