Is the Work Culture At Your Digital Agency Evolving?

Lot has changed and lot will, not only for the client’s but also for agencies. As brands seek potential partners, they look for agencies that stand out from the pack and offer a good fit between their brand and agency team servicing them. Many clients consider "chemistry" to be essential for flow of implementable ideas to make their businesses grow.

While agencies want opportunities to do great work and be fairly paid for their contribution to clients’ businesses, it is impossible for either of these to happen without a strong relationship between both parties.

In order to obtain a strong relationship, an environment must be created that will breed success. It is the responsibility of agencies to create this environment within. An agency's true points of differentiation are often grounded in its vision, value creation, creativity and other behaviors that are reinforced either formally or informally within the culture.

Knowing who you are and what is important to you, industry you want to cater to and clients you can work with is a fundamental step before an agency of any size or discipline, even before it can effectively solicit new business in the marketplace.

In order for agencies to stay relevant, they must evolve, embrace and feed a unique agency “Culture”. As an agency work force we chase deadlines and work long hours. It might not be a written requirement, but for decades it has been understood that if you want to make it in an agency of any discipline then you’d better be prepared to dedicate a decent portion of your life to your career, something highly romanticized by many movies and sitcoms.

There’s no evidence that longer hours actually result in superior work. Research and scientific studies show that rest is absolutely paramount to kindling creativity, passion and commitment, which are cornerstones to agency’s value creation.

The inconvenient truth is, this gruelling work schedule is a choice and a bad one at that. It’s a culture that some suggest is ultimately detrimental to both agencies and their clients in the long run, as staffers get burned out and the quality of their work begins to suffer. But to be fair sometimes there are advantages to being around colleagues for extended periods, as often it helps in forming deep relationships and friendships within the team.

They might take long lunches, play foosball and indulge in conversations about the latest movies, trending topics, viral videos and Internet meme, but that interaction will ultimately benefit the quality of their work and spirit of collaboration.

So what is the true agency culture? Answer is very simple and on your face, an agency which firmly believes in adding value to the discipline they serve, understands that value comes from the spirited contribution of their people and strives to create a unique “Culture” different from the competitive landscape.

Cultural fit is an effective screening criteria for new hires and a training mandate for individuals to align within their organizational cultures.

Culture grows deeper than the cubicles and awards that you see, you can judge an agency culture by how people feel as they prepare to come in each day and how they feel when they leave each day. Build a good one and you’ll have employees for the long haul and friends for life. When you walk through such an agency’s doors you should feel the surrounding energy and opportunity.

An entrepreneurial spirit that fosters creativity and invites innovation. A culture of work hard and play harder, building a collaborative and supportive ecosystem of passion, courage and ability, simply put a place where you can build a future. One which invites ground-breakers, trend-setters and thought-leaders to work with them and usher in future cutting-edge ideas and innovations.

Agency with such a distinct culture has greater chances of success and fostering such culture is a daily task of the management.

We do live in exciting times, where things change within a blink of an eye. What keeps all of us who are a part of an exciting discipline called marketing on the go is our undying passion, that adventurous streak, our affinity for challenges and that gush of adrenalin when it all falls together...Those ‘moments of truth’, knowledge of a work well done and we all are ready for the next challenge....aren't we? That in nutshell is our culture.