{"id":1340,"date":"2017-07-10T14:19:15","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T14:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.laduma.co.uk\/?p=1340"},"modified":"2017-07-10T14:19:15","modified_gmt":"2017-07-10T14:19:15","slug":"business-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging2020.laduma.com\/one\/business-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Laduma CMO Dave Alder explains the importance of a unique business culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Culture and brand are inextricably linked. In a successful organisation they coexist, one facing inwards and the other outwards.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Culture can\u2019t be forced. It can be influenced however, by everyone in the company. The key is inclusion at all levels on a regular basis. It\u2019s no longer a case of keeping employees happy and making them want to come to work each day. It\u2019s about providing points of inspiration, opportunities for personal growth and giving them ways that they can positively influence the company\u2019s collective behaviour.<\/p>\n

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Our CFO taking a penalty kick in the Salt Lake City Office. <\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Culture is also about mutual respect for each other\u2019s needs whether management or employees. For example, at LADUMA<\/a> our team members<\/a> are not required to work on Friday afternoons and once a month they can take the whole day as paid, personal time. For the employee, it means that they get a chance to spend time with their families, something that\u2019s important to the business. They\u2019re also encouraged to provide some form of community service. It\u2019s not mandatory but many of our team members have become involved with pro-social programs since we instituted the \u201cFri-yay\u201d initiative. For management, who are also given the same benefits, Fri-yays mean that they can expect team members to do their best to schedule personal appointments such as dentist visits on Fridays meaning less missed hours or work day disruption during the rest of the week.<\/p>\n

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One of our branded walls in the Salt Lake City office.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

The working environment is an aspect of culture that we feel very strongly about. LADUMA<\/a> is a young company full of smart, passionate, creative and fun people. We work hard to build those qualities into the spaces in which they work. Music, chosen by team members is constantly playing. We have table tennis tables, arcade games machines and foosball in every office. Colors are bright, graphics are bold, fun and irreverent. Pompous inspirational quotes printed over images of waterfalls are banned. Each office has multiple informal meeting areas with bubble and egg chairs, comfy sofas and all kinds of objects from cool radio controlled boats to origami books to create talking points and fun distractions when needed. And we always make sure the fridge is fully stocked for whenever anyone needs sustenance. All of this contributes to increased levels of creativity, experimentation and confidence in always being able to succeed.<\/p>\n

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British themed area at our Salt Lake City office.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

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Of course what we do doesn\u2019t work for absolutely everyone but that\u2019s a good thing. Our approach to working environments and flexible working tend to attract a specific sort of person who thrives and contributes to the development of company culture. It\u2019s a never ending journey which continues by translating to our clients and partners<\/a>, and in turn to their customers. We\u2019re predominantly B2B which is often seen as a duller cultural and brand domain than B2C, but for us that\u2019s not the case. LADUMA\u2019s presence at B2B trade shows for example, is always built around our progressive culture. Company representatives don\u2019t sit behind tables in rows waiting for a visit. Exhibition booths are designed to mirror our vibrant offices and we engage visitors with cool technology and games. In short, we work to leave a unique impression and make the experience of interacting with LADUMA very memorable.<\/p>\n

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Our mascot Stitch at our booth at MIPTV 2017<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

In some business cultures everything I\u2019ve described could be seen as a superficial veneer. At LADUMA it\u2019s not. Brand authenticity is vital to any company, especially when their employees and customers are millennials. This culture and its impact are very real. Employee morale is extremely high, we have the right level of staff churn and our creatives are extremely motivated and constantly create new products, some without us knowing, which is something we encourage and often reward.<\/p>\n

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A great week for the Laduma team at @mipmarkets #MIPTV2017 thanks to everyone who came to see us! #LadumaVR #Worldtour<\/a><\/p>\n

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