Page 103 - AdNews magazine Mar-Apr-May 2023

Investigation
www.adnews.com.au 6
“As a one person agency (not- withstanding my frequent collabo- rations with the inimitable Grant Krupp), it's probably a little redun- dant for me to opine on the matter of agency culture, as any agency culture that I have is purely inciden- tal. Although, that said, part of the reason that I'm a one person agency is probably no doubt directly attrib- utable to the toxic agency cultures that I've encountered time and time again in the wild.
“This actually suggests that agency culture is profoundly important. At least if you want to retain self-respecting talent. After all, working anywhere with people who undermine you, or routinely make you question yourself, is incredibly corrosive. Even being in agencies that pit creative teams, one against the other, can easily introduce a destructive dynamic unless it's managed with aplomb.
“As creatives, we're typically sensitive souls, and although it's neces- sary to harden up to the point where you can take constructive feedback on board without falling apart, it should neither mean calcifying to the point that we zombify into arseholes as the only way of coping.”
Independent creative director Jess Wheeler: “COVID rattled a lot of people. We stopped being hamsters in a wheel for a moment. And when all the ‘fun’ parts of the job temporarily disappeared, for some businesses it might have exposed the flaws they were papering over.
“My view isn’t actually that different than it was prior. I’ve always thought you have to let people work the way that works for them. Especially in a creative business.
“Agencies are full of weird and wonderful characters who don’t all do their best work chained to a desk in an open plan office. The WFH vs in-office debate is redundant. It’s about flexible vs. inflexible. And if you really, really, truly, want your people in (and there’s plenty of reasons to do what we do in person) then it’s up to you to create an environment that people want to spend the majority of their lives in.”
Micah Walker, CCO and cofounder at Bear Meets Eagle On Fire: “We typically get approached one of three ways - one, we have a business that needs to be a brand; two, we have a brand with a new problem to solve or opportunity to unlock; or three, we have a recipe for some assets. The first two are great.
“How to create a winning commercial? There are so many factors. It also depends on your definition of ‘winning’. I think all great work has an interesting idea or clear message that is brought to life in a way that