This is the first negative review I have written on Glassdoor. I do not enjoy it, nor do I take it lightly. This is written with the intent that it will benefit future candidates. Submitted a resume via Linked In, went in for an onsite that lasted the better part of a day. The agency seemed genuinely creative and shared some interesting work on the strategy side, overall seemed a bit weak on research and seeking to improve (totally fine). I received some favorable signals from the CEO initially, though communication seemed to trail off after a few weeks and I sensed the interest in my candidacy had waned after they hired a new VP. Frustratingly, they had already checked references (which they characterized as “glowing”) and it was extremely obvious at this point I wasn't actually in contention, as they had hired a VP and probably could not sustain additional headcount. I was surprised to receive an email from the CEO saying that the new VP and I would "compliment each other's strengths" or something to that effect. I was sent a rather odd case study to complete and present, the firm requested that I do so after hours so the other employees would not see me enter the building, very bizarre. I did the presentation, it was clear the team was simply going through the motions, the "head of quant" was totally checked out. There was a very strange sense that they simply didn't want to tell me that the role had been eliminated by the hiring of the VP. I didn't get the impression that these people have any ill intent, it was almost as if they didn't want to disappoint me and/or are just completely overwhelmed. I never heard back from anyone at BrandIQ, which is honesty so thoughtless and unprofessional it beggars belief. I even sent an email to the CEO asking to close the loop on my candidacy and did not receive a response. All in all this firm showed an astounding lack of basic decency. Regardless of the motivation behind their poor handling of my candidacy their behavior is unprofessional – so much so that I think it is important to alert other candidates. I would advise candidates to approach with caution as my experience was more in line with the negative reviews than the positive reviews. The founders are very quick to highlight the firm’s status as a B Corp and it comes off as “the lady doth protest too much;” as if they have some awareness of the problems with their conduct, and instead of committing to improving leadership, they seek an external badge that they believe enables them to claim some sort of official status as “really nice people.” I was lucky not to be under any particular pressure in my job search, and had the luxury of approaching the presentation as practice for some upcoming interviews in tech that I was really excited about; however, for candidates who are under pressure and cannot afford to have their time wasted, I would advise you to be quite direct in asking the company if the role actually exists and whether or not their interest in your candidacy is genuine. These guys seem like "tire kickers" and I notice the role I interviewed for is still listed on their website. Of course, don't provide references until you have assurance this is a real opportunity.