Particularly for the digital agency, a website, blog or equivalent is perhaps the main touchpoint at their disposal for communicating culture to prospective clients and employees, as well as a device through which to reinforce culture internally. For example, a website can show off design skills, portfolios, clients, awards and individual creds. A blog gives the agency a voice and an opinion through the writings and musings of employees. It can be a useful way of generating new business, joining in to the ‘many-to-many’ conversations going on online. It provides a platform on which to communicate brand ideals, personality, business models and credentials. It should be carefully managed, contributing regularly to pertinent debates with other bloggers or agency professionals and interacting with the online community they are working with.
Further, technology forms culture through the way in which people can communicate with one another. In a lot of ways, the
culture in agencies has become much closer, where people are contactable at all times and in all places on the phone, online and through email. Design changes can be made on the fly, almost in real time by communicating over the internet. This brings a closeness to the interaction of cultures not contingent on physical interaction. However, it could perhaps also be considered to weaken cultures, if the only method of communication is virtual. In a lot of instances it is not necessary for partners working on a project to actually meet, although perhaps for a successful relationship, interpersonal chemistry should be sought in ‘real life’.
Essentially, more ways of communicating should result in more and better communication, not laziness: one of the many, speaking to the many, in many ways.
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