Strong Culture
How Frankel tested whether its branding agency culture felt as strong on the ground as it did from the top
For People Operations Manager Lillian Vargas, a strong culture is one the whole team would describe the same way leadership does. Frankel used Agency Workplaces to find out how close they really were, and where the work still lies.
Company
Frankel
Contact
Lillian Vargas
Industry
PR / Branding
Location
Gainesville, USA
Overview
Where Intention Meets Experience
At Frankel, a strong culture comes down to one test: whether the people on the ground would describe their experience the same way leadership describes its intentions. It is easy to say the right things about respect, collaboration, and balance. It is harder to make sure those words match the day to day.
In practice, that means teammates are treated with respect even under tight deadlines, ideas are heard no matter who raises them, and colleagues can depend on each other when the pressure is on. It also means being honest about the weak spots, celebrating wins consistently rather than occasionally, and reinforcing values visibly instead of assuming good intentions will speak for themselves.
Underneath all of it is a simple belief. Everyone is part of one team, genuinely in it together, with no walls between colleagues, departments, or the top and the ground floor. Build that sense of shared ownership, Frankel's team says, and the rest tends to follow.
Why Agency Workplaces
Hearing The Team Honestly
An agency is only as strong as the talent on its roster, and Frankel wanted to hear from that roster directly. Agency Workplaces gave the team a way to gather honest feedback anonymously, so people could speak freely without worrying their answers would be traced back to them.
The open-ended responses added a dimension that numbers alone could not, turning broad impressions into specific, usable insight. For Frankel, taking part became a badge of honor, and a statement about what recognition should mean: something earned through the candid input of the people who live the culture every day.
What We Learned
An Honest Mirror
The process gave Frankel a clearer, more honest picture of where the culture is genuinely strong versus where it only feels strong from the top. Much of it held up. Teammates confirmed they are treated with respect even during quick turnarounds, that their ideas are heard, and that they can rely on one another when deadlines tighten.
It also surfaced a gap. Leadership's read on how the team was doing ran ahead of the day-to-day experience on the ground, especially around celebrating wins and the small traditions that hold a team together. The open feedback made the reason concrete: outings, recognition, and shared moments had quietly thinned out, and people felt their absence.
The lesson was clear. Strong intentions at the top do not automatically become lived experience below them. Culture has to be reinforced consistently and visibly, or it fades without anyone deciding to let it go.
What's Next
Closing The Gap
1 | Address unsustainable workload. Staffing gaps kept surfacing as the driver of an overloaded team, so Frankel reviewed headcount to make sure responsibilities reflect what people are actually carrying. Three new roles have been added to the hiring forecast. |
2 | Rebuild consistent recognition and connection. With the team feeling the loss of regular bonding, Frankel is reinstating team events and building recognition into the everyday rhythm of work rather than saving it for milestones. It will be a central part of the upcoming company-wide onsite. |
Tips for Building Great Culture
Culture Worth Protecting
• Listen in a way that protects honesty. The most useful feedback comes through anonymous, open-ended responses. If people fear their answers can be traced back to them, you will only ever measure the culture you hope you have, not the one you actually have.
• Reinforce culture consistently, not occasionally. Traditions like team outings fade quietly when no one protects them, and their absence is felt more than leadership tends to realize. Build recognition and connection into the rhythm of work.
• Tie culture to the practical realities of workload. No amount of celebration offsets the feeling that unfilled roles are quietly piling onto everyone's plate. Good culture and sustainable operations are the same goal.
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