‘Connecting with Culture’. At Cultural Comms, we are passionate about culture as a force for good and using it as a vehicle to change perception and drive our campaigns. But what does this really mean, and how does it help drive our business?
This World Philosophy Day, co-founders Charlotte Heath-Bullock and Nina Plowman invite you to discover more about Cultural Comms, as they discuss the guiding principles of the business - the ‘Five Cs - and how these values underpin our team, our work and our approach to our clients.
What is the guiding philosophy and ethos of Cultural Comms?
When we set up Cultural Comms, our key belief was in how culture has the power to inspire and connect people of all backgrounds. By ‘culture’, we’re not just considering the high art forms. We’re considering the culture of a people, their social behaviour, their attitudes, and their ideas.
Our guiding principles originated from the Latin word ‘cultura’, meaning ‘to tend, to grow, to cultivate.’ This underpins what we do and why we do it. We wanted to nurture the community around us to service our clients and deliver exceptional creative campaigns.
Today, this idea runs through the heart of the business and inspires everything we do.
How do the ‘five Cs’ shape the way the business communicates with the team, clients and other key stakeholders?
In the early stages of the business we developed the ‘Five Cs’, alongside our team. We are motivated by cultural Curiosity, Connectivity and Creativity. We have a duty of Care to our clients and our colleagues, and we love to Champion people and great work when it’s due.
Today, these values underpin every decision we make at Cultural Comms, from the clients with whom we work to the people we hire, as well as day-to-day decisions and our long-term strategy.
How do you cultivate a culture of respect, integrity, and leadership within the Cultural Comms team?
When establishing Cultural Comms, part of our ambition was to create a working environment that improves on previous experience. We always strive to lead by example, with empathy and fairness. We don’t always get it right, but this ethos is at the heart of the way we run our agency.
Naturally, the workplace has evolved over recent years, and so has human behaviour to an extent. However, the very nature of business involves people and there are some basics that are always going to apply. Kindness is one of them; this cuts through generations and is an important part of daily life. We believe that these foundations build a high-trust team with mutual respect. It’s a two-way process.
Creating a happy working environment means constant investment in our people. We want people to feel infectiously motivated and supported. When we first began to build our team, there was also a real belief in the importance of sharing knowledge, leading by example and through encouragement.
A thriving feedback culture is tremendously important to us. Individuals need to feel that they are in a safe place to share in the areas of their professional and personal development. The more we get into the habit of communicating well with each other, the greater the trust levels become. Communication needs to flow throughout the business and a meaningful mentoring programme is ideal.
Click here to read more about why Mentoring Matters.
How do you foster a collaborative workplace where everyone feels connected to the Cultural Comms mission?
We sought the team's involvement in the development of our values - after all, our business is our people as much as it is our business vision - and ensured our mission to help our clients connect with audiences through culture lives in every layer.
And as above, we have put in place a number of initiatives to support colleagues both internally and externally through our mentorship programme, and we are transparent with our ambitions so the team feel they are part of the journey, connected to the mission, and able to contribute.
After lockdown we introduced a new benefit across the team, with everyone at Cultural Comms receiving annual membership to a cultural institution of their choice (you can see more about these experiences on our socials). We are passionate about our thriving cultural landscape and it was important to us that our local cultural institutions were building back after this turbulent time. But most of all, we wanted the team to explore their own cultural interests, and be constantly inspired, challenged and connected to the wider world of art and culture.
The Five Cs of Cultural Comms:
Connected: We’re passionate about bringing people together to collaborate and innovate.
Curious: We are culturally aware and culturally curious – this is the key to staying relevant.
Caring: We believe in empathetic leadership to ensure a happy and nurturing working environment. We care about collaborating with organisations that foster creativity and culture and we care about our cultural heritage and the wider environment and our footprint within it.
Creative: We are problem solvers. We create imaginative content and inspiring narratives to deliver impactful campaigns.
Championing: We are a high-achieving team and we believe in celebrating and recognising great work - whether a small feat or a major campaign.
