We’re not bringing the penguin statues, the spider door, or even our award-winning chef

“What are you crazy? You’re moving out of that incredible mansion? Why would you do that?  It’s so much a part of your identity?”

Today, after 40 years on the North Shore of Boston, the last 23 in ensconced in the historic stone manor house known as Penguin Hall, Mullen, the agency for which I’ve worked for 26 years, moves to downtown Boston.

Some people find it hard to believe. That’s because they mistake our building with our agency. Yes, Penguin Hall may have been a big part of our identity, and yes, we milked it for everything possible, claiming the spider web door was a metaphor for the effectiveness of our advertising or declaring that the elegance and quality of our creative product was inspired by the mansion’s craftsmanship.  But come on, that was just spin.  We are in the advertising business after all.

No, the building wasn’t who we are. It was simply where we were. Who we are is defined by something far more important:  our culture. In our case culture is what we believe and how we behave.  It’s our desire to be remarkable and build a company that people admire. It’s a commitment to be courageous and always try new things. It’s a passion for originality, even if that’s hard to achieve.  And it’s a determination to be unbound in our way of working and thinking.

And so we’re moving out of the mansion. We’re not bringing any of its incredible features. Not the spider-web front door, or the statues that grace the grounds, or even our nationally renowned chef. But we are bringing something more important. The culture that inspired us to move on in the first place.

Does your company have a strong and clear culture that drives beliefs and behavior?