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Nurturing Culture in In-House Agencies

Building a strong culture that can adapt to changing times takes consistency

By Kate Gundlach Roberts    November 5, 2024     5-minute read

A strong culture in an in-house agency doesn't happen by accident — building it takes intentional leadership and a clear alignment with company values.

Effective leaders create an environment where trust, transparency, and open communication are the norm, empowering team members to use their unique talents toward shared goals. It's about creating a welcoming space and a high-performing, inclusive environment where creativity thrives for individuals and the team.

A key part of this is clearly defining roles and responsibilities, recognizing achievements, and promoting continuous growth. Engagement and motivation rise when team members feel valued and have a clear path for their own development. At the same time, leaders must stay on top of issues such as burnout, which can drain creativity and cause disengagement. Encouraging balance and introducing fresh perspectives helps keep the energy high, ensuring the agency remains a creative powerhouse.

The Challenge of Maintaining Culture Over Time

Once an in-house agency has built a thriving culture, the challenge is to keep it going. Culture isn't static — it evolves and grows, but it can fall apart if left unchecked. Like a brand, culture needs to be consistent, well-understood, and recognized by everyone on the team. As the agency grows and changes, whether due to internal shifts or external pressures, the culture must evolve too, without losing sight of the company's core mission and values.

For example, an agency that starts small and creative might rely heavily on spontaneity and innovation. As it grows and projects become more complex, more structure becomes necessary to maintain alignment. Healthy cultures don't resist these changes — they adapt while staying true to their roots. Leaders play a critical role in anticipating these shifts and helping their teams embrace the changes, ensuring that the culture remains strong as the agency and its goals evolve.

The Lifespan of a Culture

From day one, leaders must recognize that every decision shapes the culture. They're not just setting the tone, they're the culture's stewards, constantly reflecting on how their actions and communication reinforce or detract from the values they want to instill. Culture starts with leadership but extends well beyond it. It takes ongoing effort and investment from the entire team to keep it growing over time.

As the agency evolves, it needs to remain agile, adjusting to shifts in corporate strategy, market demands, and industry trends. For instance, an agency that emphasizes creative freedom might need to change its focus to meet corporate KPIs as it scales. That doesn't mean sacrificing creativity but balancing creative liberty and business objectives. Successful leaders can maintain continuity in core values while remaining flexible enough to address new challenges.

Consistency Through Communication

Clear, regular communication is vital to keeping an agency's culture intact. Transparency builds trust, especially during times of change, such as shifts in strategy or leadership transitions. Explaining the "why" behind these changes helps team members understand the bigger picture and feel connected to the agency's journey.

Reinforcing core values through communication keeps the culture alive. Regular team meetings, performance reviews, one-on-one meetings between supervisors and their team members, and informal check-ins are all great opportunities to do this. One-on-one meetings help with communication and also offer a structured space for supervisors to check in on workload, morale, and career path trajectory to ensure employees feel supported, valued, and clear on their roles. As teams move toward hybrid or remote work, adapting communication tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams) becomes essential to maintaining engagement. The goal is to ensure everyone feels connected, regardless of where they're working.

Celebrating achievements in real-time is also essential. Even a small shout-out can go a long way in keeping the team motivated and aligned with the agency's vision of collaboration and excellence.

Evolving Leadership for a Mature Culture

As the culture matures, leadership styles need to evolve as well. In the early stages, agencies may rely on more hands-on leadership, with decisions centralized and guidance frequent. As the team grows, leaders must shift from being directive to becoming mentors. This fosters an environment where team members have more autonomy and take ownership of their work, knowing they're trusted to uphold the agency's values.

Leaders also need to focus on developing future talent within the team. Creating opportunities for professional growth and mentoring the next generation of leaders ensures that the agency's culture survives and thrives in the long term.

Innovation as a Cultural Pillar

Innovation doesn't happen independently — it requires leaders to actively foster an environment where teams can experiment, take risks, and push boundaries. Encouraging teams to try new things without fear of failure is critical to keeping the agency dynamic and forward-thinking.

For example, scheduling regular "Innovation Days," where team members can explore passion projects outside their usual scope, can spark fresh ideas that benefit both the agency and the broader business. Leaders can also bring guest speakers, hold workshops, or provide other learning opportunities to ensure the team stays on top of emerging trends and industry developments.

Bringing in outside perspectives is just as important. Cross-functional collaboration and insights from industry experts can keep the team energized and open to new ideas, helping the agency's culture stay fresh and aligned with its goals.

Evaluating and Evolving Culture

Regular evaluations are essential to keeping an in-house culture on track. Whether through KPIs or employee feedback, leaders need to track how well the culture aligns with the agency's goals. Tools such as culture audits, surveys, and open forums provide valuable insight into what's working and what's not.

For example, suppose feedback shows that employees feel disconnected from leadership or need clarification about the agency's direction. Leaders may need to increase communication through town hall meetings or office hours. Regular evaluation also allows leaders to catch early signs of disengagement or burnout and take timely steps to address these issues before they undermine the culture.

A Culture of Continuous Evolution

In an ever-changing environment, culture is a continuous process of growth, adaptation, and reflection. Leaders must create space for innovation, encourage experimentation, and keep communication open from all sides to build a culture that can withstand change pressures.

For example, adopting a "fail-fast" approach — where risks are encouraged and failure is seen as a learning opportunity — can foster a culture of experimentation without fear. Leaders should also be prepared to adapt the culture to external factors like market shifts, technological changes, or evolving customer needs. By fostering cross-functional collaboration and staying open to outside ideas, leaders ensure that their agency's culture remains dynamic, innovative, and aligned with business objectives.

Ultimately, a flexible, innovative, and transparent culture allows an in-house agency to thrive, no matter what changes come. Strong cultures aren't static — they grow and evolve, laying the foundation for long-term success.

Cella is a partner in the ANA Thought Leadership Program.