Zoo Advertising's "tactful moment" on email ...

Grail said :

Get used to the fact that things work differently in different classes of society. And get used to the fact that we do have different classes of society, most clearly delineated by how much you earn and where you live.

I live in outer-Belcompton (unfortunately, I don’t have the tats to prove it).

I earn $25 000 a year.

Yet I’ve still wrangled a free trip to Hamilton Island at least once in my life.

/me for the win.

As a “junior” public servant who sources quotes, the decision isn’t left up to me. If it is done properly there is quite a lengthy procurement process..

I think that it is a smart business move by Zoo.. Their staff are their business. Reward your staff and your staff and they will stay and not be tempted to go to the public service with higher salaries, almost double the super and flextime!

Anna Key said :

I agree that private companies should do what they like with their profits, but out of interest, would this also be a legitimate, tax deductible expense?

Oh I’m sure they would have scheduled sufficient ‘team building’ activities to justify it as a staff training expense. Nothing builds team cohesion like a few games of beach volleyball.

Anna, yes it probably is.

Clinton has put together a great team at Zoo & as an initiative to attract, recognise and retain staff i’ve got no problems with giving them something extra or unexpected. Two thumbs up.

JimT said :

If their tenders are competitive, I don’t see how what they do with their profits is any of your concern. quote]

Exactly the point, so why would they feel the need to advertise this fact to their clients?

No one cares that they make a profit or indeed what they do with that profit, it’s just bad form to send something like this to your clients.

JimT said :

Ha ha ha ha.
This is gold coming from, what I assume is a public servant who enjoys the benefit of flex time that those in the private sector don’t receive?
Agency staff work hard to produce good work on jobs where costs are often heavily scrutinised.
The agency I’m fortunate to work for was generous enough to take it’s staff to the Hunter Valley this year – but don’t worry – none of our clients are Government clients, so none of your hard earned tax dollars funded my excessive wine tasting afternoons….
If their tenders are competitive, I don’t see how what they do with their profits is any of your concern. If you feel left out, perhaps you could leave the safety and security of your APS job and come and work in the private sector where you may get better perks, but could be made redundant whenever the work dries up (which does happen in advertising from time to time).

+ elventy billion

Let them have their Hamilton island holiday, they work in advertising and sold their souls to the mighty dollar a long time ago. There needs to be some sort of return.

Seriously though who rubs their clients noses in the fact they are going on holidays at company expense. Just call it a planning day and leave it at that.

Ha ha ha ha.
This is gold coming from, what I assume is a public servant who enjoys the benefit of flex time that those in the private sector don’t receive?
Agency staff work hard to produce good work on jobs where costs are often heavily scrutinised.
The agency I’m fortunate to work for was generous enough to take it’s staff to the Hunter Valley this year – but don’t worry – none of our clients are Government clients, so none of your hard earned tax dollars funded my excessive wine tasting afternoons….
If their tenders are competitive, I don’t see how what they do with their profits is any of your concern. If you feel left out, perhaps you could leave the safety and security of your APS job and come and work in the private sector where you may get better perks, but could be made redundant whenever the work dries up (which does happen in advertising from time to time).

I agree that private companies should do what they like with their profits, but out of interest, would this also be a legitimate, tax deductible expense?

so, op, when should zoo have let you know their plans for their well-earned break?

+1 to what grail says, for mine… time for those left behind in dismal canberra to have a non-umbrella’d cup of harden the farkup, what…

next.

Holden Caulfield said :

fgzk said :

Hows the weather up their at this time of year? Well earned break in my book. A great family business acknowledging and rewarding the commitment of its staff.

One of the more amusing comments to ever be made on RA.

Indeed! Classic Freudian slip.

You said :

chewy14 said :

If I was one of their clients, I’d definitely be questioning the cost of any tenders they put in for in the future, if they are taking their staff on a holiday to Hamilton Island.

Why you would send your clients an email like that I have no idea?

The only thing being advertised is that they’re getting paid too much.

Hit the nail right on the head. Sending that email was a terrible business decision.

If I were evaluating tenders and theirs was among the pile, I’d be looking at their fee and how well their proposal meets the requirements of the brief. If their fee is competitive, who’s to say they’re getting paid too much? If it’s uncompetitive, they simply don’t win the job.

All the bilious talk of aggrieved public servants actually underlines my point, rather than contradicting it (dummies!). My point wasn’t whether it is OK for a company to head for an island with staff on holiday – my point – besides the timing – is that if public servants may take offence, why risk skiting about luxury hols on email if there’s the risk that recipients surrounded by apricot velour partitions (and the junior APS staff are the ones who seek the quotes) may go green around the gills about it.

Clown Killer said :

I’m particularly amused by those big noting themselves with suggestions that ‘they’d be looking closely at any quotes or costings in future…” as if they would ever be in a position to do just that.

Well, actually I’ve been there and done that. Moved on to other things now.

Clown Killer said :

I’m particularly amused by those big noting themselves with suggestions that ‘they’d be looking closely at any quotes or costings in future…” as if they would ever be in a position to do just that.

But you know how business REALLY works right? Not bignoting at all.

I can only speak from my personal experience which is obviously different from yours.

I will admit that I haven’t had anything to do with advertising agencies and perhaps this kind of behaviour works for their clients?

Maybe a little tactless, but I see this envy all the time with public servants in particular. They don’t understand they actyually have jobs, with pretty good benefits and real good job security.
People in pricvate companies, often don’t get paid that much more have worse conditions and expected to work a lot more, but will occasionally in the right company get little perks like this. I got a decent bonus this FY and occasionally when we win tenders we get a free lunch to celebrate. All private companies do it to some degree, not many go to hamilton island though, but in the scheme of things, my bonus this year would have easily paid for a hamilton island 4 day holiday. I know what I’d prefer.

Maybe the holiday has better tax implications for zooadvertising 🙂

Somebody think of the children!

In the event of an advertising emergency? LOL

The trip sounds like romping good fun to me. So long as their creditors are paid and their families don’t mind, who cares!

fgzk said :

Hows the weather up their at this time of year? Well earned break in my book. A great family business acknowledging and rewarding the commitment of its staff.

One of the more amusing comments to ever be made on RA.

I-filed said :

Bluey said :

neanderthalsis said :

Haters gonna hate…

+1

Green is an ugly colour. If youre unhappy with your end of year sausage sizzle and soft drinks leave and work somewhere else.

Sorry to disappoint you – I’m actually off to South America for Christmas … : )

Sounds good! Im off to Thailand personally 🙂

Erg0 said :

How dare they make a profit from government work! They should be bidding on tenders at cost price!

Where did I say they shouldn’t make a profit?
But rubbing that profit in the nose of your clients is a great way to lose business.

I can’t remember the last time the banks sent out an email to their mortgage customers saying:

“Hey, It’s Christmas time and because we made a $6B profit this year we decided to give our staff a massive Christmas bonus. Thanks for paying for it, enjoy the festive season.”

Bluey said :

neanderthalsis said :

Haters gonna hate…

+1

Green is an ugly colour. If youre unhappy with your end of year sausage sizzle and soft drinks leave and work somewhere else.

Sorry to disappoint you – I’m actually off to South America for Christmas … : )

I’m particularly amused by those big noting themselves with suggestions that ‘they’d be looking closely at any quotes or costings in future…” as if they would ever be in a position to do just that. It really smacks of a complete misunderstanding of how a business operates. There’s a bizzare assumption that if the company can afford some generosity towards its staff then it’s charging too much … But then these are the people who want to split bills at restaurants and bitch about where their AS goes for Christmas lunch. Get over it. There’s nothing to see here.

neanderthalsis said :

Haters gonna hate…

+1

Green is an ugly colour. If youre unhappy with your end of year sausage sizzle and soft drinks leave and work somewhere else.

Sure, private companies can do whatever they like with their profits – but I’d be looking closely at their future quotes to ensure they’re competitive, and I’d REALLY be looking closely at any justification for sole-sourcing to them.

Well, the folks who are clients of advertising agencies are usually the types who view conspicuous consumption as an indication of wealth. If you are rich you obviously worked for it, so telling your clients that you’re off for an expensive holiday is the same deal as turning up to interviews in an exotic car wearing an expensive suit: it’s a clear message that, “I am successful because I can afford to spend money on luxuries.”

This kind of messaging is not intended for the rank and file such as the person who forwarded this email. I’m sure the messaging was appropriate for the audience to which it was intended.

There’s a clearly defined divide between the wage slaves who view conspicuous consumption as a waste of customer’s money, and the elite who view conspicuous consumption as an indicator of a person or company’s value, merit or worth.

Get used to the fact that things work differently in different classes of society. And get used to the fact that we do have different classes of society, most clearly delineated by how much you earn and where you live.

What you think of this message from Zoo Advertising is irrelevant, since you are not the target market.

You’ll probably find they’re expecting zero (or limited) jobs over that 2 day period. Hence why they’ve sent everyone home. It makes sense to me, why have everyone there twiddling their thumbs for 2 days, then let them have an extra break, come back refreshed, ready for some hard work.

OP needs to realise that the grass isn’t always greener. Perhaps they’ve been working 2-3 hrs extra every day for the past 6 months and are burnt out? The only reason why they’ve emailed you is so that you don’t call them up and find nobody answers.

On an unrelated note, in terms of holidays, i’d rather be on my own/with friends that with a bunch of work colleagues twice my age.

chewy14 said :

If I was one of their clients, I’d definitely be questioning the cost of any tenders they put in for in the future, if they are taking their staff on a holiday to Hamilton Island.

Why you would send your clients an email like that I have no idea?

The only thing being advertised is that they’re getting paid too much.

Hit the nail right on the head. Sending that email was a terrible business decision.

Hows the weather up their at this time of year? Well earned break in my book. A great family business acknowledging and rewarding the commitment of its staff.

+1 buzz819

I don’t have a problem with this at all – but Zoo would probably be wiser to pocket that money rather then spend it. It could be a slow year for companies that rely on the spending of public agencies. It might be Pine Island, rather than Hamilton next Christmas.

Haters gonna hate…

I have no problem with private companies rewarding their staff. Even if they do have the Commonwealth Govt as a client, what they do with their earnings is pretty much their business. Maybe they’re enjoying the good times before the meataxe starts swinging. That said, I think the advertisers will still be making dollars even when the Public Service has been cut back to nothing. Someone needs to peddle the propaganda to the proles. With a government so far behind in the polls and a number of unpopular policies to push, Zoo might be heading to Bora Bora next year instead of Hamilton Island…

Understandably, the cubicle dwelling pubes out there might feel a twinge of jealousy that there are actually employers out there who value their employees enough to fund a tropical junket.

chewy14 said :

If I was one of their clients, I’d definitely be questioning the cost of any tenders they put in for in the future, if they are taking their staff on a holiday to Hamilton Island.

Why you would send your clients an email like that I have no idea?

The only thing being advertised is that they’re getting paid too much.

How dare they make a profit from government work! They should be bidding on tenders at cost price!

If I was one of their clients, I’d definitely be questioning the cost of any tenders they put in for in the future, if they are taking their staff on a holiday to Hamilton Island.

Why you would send your clients an email like that I have no idea?

The only thing being advertised is that they’re getting paid too much.

envy is for chumps. eat a bag

OMG, you should totally call a waaaambulance

colourful sydney racing identity said :

a company rewarding staff?

Fine. Just don’t rub my nose in it.

a company rewarding staff? Cue the moral panic.

Wonder about the state of mind of the person who sent this to RIOTACT, maybe they need a holiday, a bit of generosity of spirit and Xmas cheer. Zoo is a private, profit-driven organisation – what it does with its profits to reward and motivate its staff is its business … personally I applaud a company that uses profits to reward staff, particularly if it means they are happy and productive for their clients.

Ouch.

Not sure I’d want to hire ZOO Advertising, they seem to be a little unaware and tactless.

Umm?? Just because your in a job without succh perks you are annoyed??

Happens quite a lot in the private sector, get over yourself.