One of the most valuable assets a company can have is a reputation as being a great place to work. Increasingly valuable is being known as a company trying to make a real difference in the world. Agency culture is an intangible asset that can be of huge value to a business and, when really working, to the wider society.

Cresta has launched an award to applaud these companies. Its new Creative Business Awards aim to find, analyse and celebrate the most valued places to work. According to Cresta’s management team, top creatives as well as big brands are often attracted to a business’s culture as much as to its actual work output. The award-winning successes of major shops known for their unique culture supports this view.

The new awards are the first time, Cresta believes, that agencies from around the world will be able to pitch their work style, their vision and their values in a global awards format.

The Creative Business Awards are part of the reshaping of Cresta. Cresta president, Alan Page, explained, “The Cresta name originates from the words creative standards, and we are committed to broadening our remit to cover standards not just in the myriad media options now available to clients and creatives but also to include the evolution of the industry itself.

“Experience tells us that the way a company works, how it treats it staff and clients, its inner values and its vision are key components. They are fundamental to building an environment in which people can be creatively brave, confident, innovative and, most of all, effective.”

The awards will promote the most exciting creative businesses across global markets as part of Cresta’s new Creative Standards Review.

“Winning one of our Creative Business trophies is, of course, a brilliant outcome for any entrant,” stated Cresta chief executive officer, Lewis Blackwell. “However, we want to deliver more. In today’s hugely competitive and evolving market, we believe the real, long-term value will come from how we communicate our winner’s skills and attributes to clients and the creative community as a whole.

“We know there are some wonderful company cultures out there that need to be better recognised, understood and learned from. So please tell us about yourself.”

There are three main categories in these new awards – Culture, Workplace and Activism – and entries will be judged in varying business size sub-categories covering small as well as large scale operations.

Entry to the new awards is free to any company submitting at least one entry into Cresta’s main creative awards.

Find more information here or contact info@creativestandards.org.