The language of culture has long been a lynchpin of agency sales decks. In the business of creativity, it is people rather than process that companies rise and fall on. In the wake of the Coronavirus crisis, it is clear that creating conditions where those people can thrive is more complex than ever. 

For Virtue Worldwide, the creative agency which operates within media and entertainment company, Vice, its proximity to culture is a clear selling point. Yet for Louise Lang, Interim Managing Director at the agency, ensuring the creative culture works for everyone is top of the agenda. 

Refreshingly, in an ecosystem in which many agencies have defaulted to one-size fits all solution to the future of work, Lang is nuanced in her approach. Notably in an ecosystem in which employees are struggling with boundaries and burnout is on the rise, Lang is eloquent about the threat of a creative crisis of confidence in overwhelmed creators.

“As an agency, you are only as good as your worst copywriter,” says Lang, noting that the friction points of hybrid working make staff concerns and staff morale top of the agenda. “For Virtue as a borderless company we had already clocked that you have to pour a lot of effort into building a culture which enables creative people to really thrive.”

Borderless creativity

Rather than viewing the future of creativity through the narrow lens of where people are physically sitting, Lang has a refreshingly open view of the future of the creative industries. In the wake of the pandemic, agency leaders have been open in sharing that building staff morale is of the utmost importance. 

It is a focus on people that Lang supports. “If you are in a creative business then the concerns of your people have been your number one priority the whole time.”

As a borderless creative company (in deeds as well as in straplines) Lang is eloquent in explaining that building a creative culture in a predominately virtual working environment does not happen by accident. “It is clear to us that you have to pour a lot of energy into that virtual space. You have to be really purposeful in the way you collide people together and show them they really enjoy working together.” She believes this is crucial to building trusting and open working relationships. 

Beyond the binary debate on WFH killing creativity

In practice, this means being intentional about that small talk that is easy to write off as a waste of time at the start of a meeting. It also requires bringing people together in person when needed. “A little bit of travel goes a long way, it is important to see people as full human beings, not just someone you give a task to. We bake it into the way we work so that we make space for people to spend time together.”

Her approach is more nuanced; a far cry from a widespread industry narrative that has struggled to embrace the future of work as being little more than a debate about where you are working. 

“People like working from home, in fact, some people absolutely love it, so you have to allow people to feel that they can get the best of both worlds,” she explains. This isn’t just about big creative statements, it is about ways of working which translate to employee experience. While you may not see ‘borderless creativity’ as the ability to put some washing on between calls, the fundamental truth remains that a better work and life blend allows people the mental and physical space to create work that matters and cope with crisis. 

“For us, we have really trusted people in how they manage their time and it is really important to have that sense of mutual appreciation,” explains Lang. Yet she is passionate that such a balance does not happen by accident. “You have to consciously make a lot of effort and for us, there were elements of trial and error in being a borderless agency. We have to consciously create a structure where friendships proliferate.” 

The feedback furnace

Building such a culture requires both honesty and humility about the friction points in hybrid working. From people becoming distrustful of each other, to the challenges of feedback in virtual settings, Virtue is an example of an agency being both intentional and open about this fresh set of challenges. 

“Creative feedback on digital platforms is really tricky, so often we default to the senior person who speaks first and doesn’t like it. It's much easier to forget that everyone has been asked for their point of view. If you received feedback and didn’t get a chance to voice your point of view it can be difficult,” she explains.

It is an important observation and particularly crucial for mid-weight and junior creatives. Without the in real-life diffusion moments of a spontaneous conversation on the way out of a meeting, or a consolidation conversation with a colleague after difficult feedback, insecurities can fester which in turn means both creative careers and cultures fail to flourish.

“The other thing is that digital platforms aren’t built for pondering,” explains Lang. “You can’t stare at the wall and have that moment to really think about the work. Which happens more naturally if everyone is in the same building,” she adds.

This is why, where possible, Virtue brings creative teams together for the last 2 or 3 days of a pitch. Yet she is clear that this isn’t about working all night. She explains: “We don’t want to default to cancelling your life for a month. Some agencies are obsessed with iteration over time when sometimes it's the hunch at the beginning that is the most powerful insight.”

Conscious connection

In an ecosystem in which brands and agencies alike are struggling with staff morale Lang’s insights into how she consciously brings teams together are equal parts compelling and coherent. As well as the processes around pitches the moments when all staff come together, such as in the weekly all-agency meeting and a monthly ‘cultural exchange’ meeting, are equally important.

“We do a monthly cultural exchange where one or two people talk about their passions - whether it's their dogs or the case for jingles making a comeback in advertising. We want people to talk about their passions,” explains Lang.

At an all-agency meeting - which is essentially a ‘newsround for the week’ - the team embraces the way that chat enables naturally introverted people to feedback their thoughts in real-time.

The importance of trust

All of this effort contributes to building a trusting environment; trust which Lang believes is vital to both a creative culture within the agency and healthy relationships with clients.

This extends to being upfront and honest about any problem and upholding a standard of creative output which matches Vice’s culture-led output and journalistic standards. She explains: “Our people are really inspired by and take an inherent pride in being part of an organisation which is at the cutting edge of the news agenda. This creates a standard of creative output and journalistic standards that is really high, which is absolutely motivating for the team.”

So as a leader how does Lang maintain her own curiosity and creativity? Pointing to the power of running and amateur dramatics she is passionate about the importance of having a life outside of work.  

She explains: “A friend of mine set up an adult theatre group and that has been so important to me. In so much of what we do lots of great creative work hits the floor. It's difficult in real life to have your work rejected, it can be exhausting. For me having something that can really offset that long journey to getting work done gives me energy.” 

She believes it is truly important to give your brain that release; whether it's a side hustle, exercise or a creative pursuit that you are doing simply for the joy.

Better boundaries build better creative companies

It might feel like the ‘fluffy stuff’ but as a growing number of data points underline the impact of burnout on the advertising industry, boundary setting is arguably the most underutilised tool in building creative companies.

“I am a big fan of boundary setting and I spend a lot of time with my team supporting them with this because actually, it's a skill that takes time. As a client-facing industry it’s not wired for boundaries to be a natural behaviour,” she explains.

Lang believes this downtime is important as it enables leaders and employees alike to truly pour their energy into work when they are ‘on’. “If you are always on you will run out of energy,” she adds. 

On the cusp of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the workplace for the better,  the industry faces a talent drain. So what should leaders be doing differently in 2023?

“The industry is scratching its head around entry point talent, but there is a problem with recruiting people into the industry. This is as connected to salary as we have never paid entry-level well or been competitive with other industries. There are lots of other things going on. It's very difficult for people who don’t already live within the M25 to get a flat,” she explains. A fundamental issue that will need to be tackled. 

Then there is the thorny issue of staff retention. “The problem with being at home and with hybrid working was that for many people advertising became a job where they couldn’t switch off.”

She continues: “It was very difficult to spot that boundary setting was going to be a huge problem because people were working at home. But if you can’t create an environment in which people feel safe that they can actually switch off then they will exit.”

In line with this Lang urges leaders to ask themselves an honest question: “Am I allowing people to feel safe in the amount of time they are putting in? If you haven’t asked that question you have to do it now.” 

A compelling and honest reminder that building a future of work that works for everyone requires the humility to recognise that positive change starts with asking better questions, rather than pretending to have all the answers.