Organisational culture determines the bottom line

9 Jan 2015

Operating in a high-pressured environment with unrealistic deadlines and an urgent need to constantly churn out award-winning work, the creative marketing and communications space is driven by its culture. Despite the critical role of organisational culture, it is often viewed as inconsequential in the bigger picture.

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Marketing Fanatics recently identified some key reasons for ensuring organisational culture.

Organisational culture is key in demonstrating an agency's market differentiator

With the market fast becoming oversaturated with a number of small agencies, the competitive edge is increasing and placing significant pressure on agencies to stand out from their competitors. Boasting a culture that personifies the company's vision, service standards and work ethic provides clients with more than just a service but rather an experience.

Culture is part of the package

During presentations, agencies often put their best foot forward and once the contract is signed and sealed there is a number of hurdles in producing deliverables due to internal woes. This is often as a result of a lack of cultural understanding resulting in poor teamwork. The culture offering displayed during the presentation needs to resonate through the execution of daily tasks, prompting the need for agency leaders to ensure the culture vibe is clearly understood and encouraged internally and not only part of a presentation effort.

Clients admire an agency with a clear culture

In a time when technology and innovation is replacing skills, clients have a certain degree of admiration for agencies who are able to display a positive culture and allow that to ripple through to their deliverables. An agency that displays a strong culture is capable of integrating itself within an organisation and bring the respective brand to life in a strategically creative, compelling and sustainable manner.

Having identified all these reasons to ensure a strong culture, Marketing Fanatics have engaged in a few quirky tactics to ensure the team is constantly reminded of the Marketing Fanatics culture. Some of the activations included Christmas in July and themed staff meetings, including an ultimate braai master challenge and a Pyjama Day to mark the Christmas countdown. "As an agency, we encourage other agencies to keep the culture going as we hone some of the world's most skilled marketing, communications and creative specialists" added Marketing Fanatics' Managing Director, Lauren Torlage.