January 6, 2023 | By Sara Guaglione

Ivy Liu

According to Digiday, Future plc’s Atlanta office closed last month less than one year after opening as the new video production center.

In an email statement, a spokesperson said the company was just as efficient in remote capacities and would not confirm or deny that the office had been closed. According to the statement, “We continually review our location strategies in order to determine areas where adjustments may be required.” This spokesperson didn’t answer any questions about how it will affect the employees it hires to expand the hub, or whether the pivot was indicated in its video strategy.

In February 2022 the office was opened. The goal of hiring over 100 Atlanta-based people in sales, editorial and production positions to create more entertainment, lifestyle and home content for women. The new 16,000 square foot office is being used by future executives to recruit video producers, influencers, and creators in the region. The fifth floor of Bank of America Tower, 55 stories tall, offers a space of approximately 16,000 sq. ft.

According to Digiday, the move was likely made as a cost-cutting measure by Future, which depends on affiliate revenue and advertising — both areas that have suffered from economic headwinds.

They tried to make it easier by closing down the office. The former employee stated that they did not eliminate many jobs but instead eliminated several offices. According to them, at most 30 employees had been recruited for the Atlanta location by the time of their departure last fall.

Future executives told Digiday that the hub was responsible for creating additional inventory to be monetized by advertisers through its brands, including Tom’s Guide and TechRadar. CPMs for video are typically higher than those of display ads.

Future employees claim that some video producers are now located in the New York City offices.

According to the employee, “As far I know, there haven’t been any impacts due to the office closing… it was a move from remote.”

Digiday interviewed two contractors, one of whom requested anonymity and worked at the Atlanta video department. They were fired last year. The contractors described an environment lacking communication and leadership direction.

A contractor who was working on video content for Future claimed that they had been promised a “full-fledged production team” and an office when they first started work at Future in spring. The team didn’t grow when they were fired at the end of the year.

“The turnover rate was extremely high. Our team was only able to grow to three or four members at the end. [of my time there]They said,

After about one month of work, another contractor on the team for video was fired. They said that they didn’t have enough money to pay me. Everything was chaotic. “Sometimes I just wanted to get into the car and weep.”