Company Culture with Revel Advertising

“Company Culture” could be synonymous with “Ad Agency” based on traditional reputations—from free beer and stylish office space to special summer hours. But at Revel Advertising, culture takes shape in many different ways (with a little bit of tradition mixed in for good measure). 

Revel Advertising understands they’re only as good as their people. “Each year, we work together as a team to set our annual goals and then each quarter each employee selects and spearheads a special project geared towards accomplishing one or more of our annual goals,” says Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder Chris Jarratt of the company’s transparent, open-book management style. “By empowering each employee to decide what they want to do to help us meet our goals, we’re giving each employee ownership over the success of the company as a whole.” 

Revel also creates dedicated time and space to collaborate and innovate—from monthly brainstorms to spark new ideas for client projects to volunteering independently or as a team. Revel also offers employees memberships to organizations, such as Springfield Creatives, that can help with team members’ personal and professional growth and development, all while engaging and becoming more connected. 

“Outside of setting and accomplishing internal goals, we also have a mission as an organization to use our time and talents to support our community as often and on as large of a scale as possible,” says Jarratt. “We encourage, and allow time for, our employees to get involved in nonprofit organizations they are passionate about.”

That passion to support local organizations has helped inspire one of Revel’s most well-known initiatives: Revel with a Cause. In 2013, Jarratt and his co-founder, Nicole Jarratt, decided to formalize the amount of time dedicated to nonprofits. Through this program, Revel provides a local nonprofit free services for a whole year. 

“One surprising benefit to this initiative has been the interest that potential employees have shown in the program,” says Jarratt. “I’d say close to 80 percent of the people we interview ask about it, which is just one more way to gauge potential alignment with our culture through the hiring process.”

With just seven employees, that emphasis on engagement is essential to building and keeping a tight-knit team.

“Without the culture we have in place we wouldn’t be able to produce the high-quality work we do,” says Jarratt. “Whether it’s dedicating time to serve on a board that further ties you to our community, a new skill you learn at a conference or a new connection you make that could be our next team member, all of these non-billable activities lead to a more productive team in the long run.”