I recently read this article from Mashable that looks at the role office space plays when it comes to creativity. The piece outlined how more and more, creative companies (designers, ad agencies etc.) are attempting to create spaces that “promote creative thinking.” I found this particularly interesting, from a PR standpoint. There has been much debate recently over whom should provide clients with creative content, which team should be responsible for social and ultimately, should a PR agency compete with an ad agency, or vice-versa. You only have to look to the recent Cannes Lions to know that the ad agencies are already encroaching on our space.
So, this leads me to wonder, how many PR agencies are stepping up to be more creative and challenging their own status quo in the process? Not just to defend their ground, but also to retain/attract the brightest and best? These are the professionals that look to the uniqueness of an agency, its ability to stand out for quality work and deliver effective and creative campaigns for its clients. I have a number of friends who work in PR and describe their office as being “flat” and “being considerably more work than play”. The complete opposite is exactly one of the reasons I came to work for Bite and I must say, I’ve not been disappointed.
Any day of the week, you can find people at the open-plan office, laughing hysterically at a shared YouTube video, blasting their go-to music, bringing their child dog to the office (yes, that includes meetings!), having a Wii dance off, planning a company outing, popping open a bottle of champagne to celebrate hard work, or just hanging out on the deck, overlooking the Bay Bridge….you get the picture.
While hardly having our office set up in a pub, these creative elements not only keep the office fun and interactive, but these factors really do contribute to coming up with those creative ideas that really stand out and excite our clients. So I ask you, if you work in the creative industry, do you think the space you work in is important and if so, are you set up for success?
Meanwhile if you have a creative space that inspires you, why not tweet about it to @mashbusiness with hashtag #workspace or submit your creative digs to Mashable for its upcoming feature.