Whether he’s supplying beach cruisers or encouraging midday surfing, John Gallegos will be the first to say a happy employee is an inspired one. “The premium we put on creativity at our agency requires that we hire the best talent and provide them with a dynamic environment to stimulate creativity,” says Gallegos, founder and CEO of Grupo Gallegos (GG). “It has always been an integral part of our DNA.” Created in 2001, GG is an independent, creatively driven marketing-solutions and advertising agency leading the Hispanic market with campaigns for Comcast, California Milk Processor Board (Got Milk?), and the Clorox Company. GG celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2011 by moving into new offices across the Huntington Beach Pier in Southern California, which was remolded and tailored to fit the agency’s needs.
“We had outgrown our previous offices long before the leases were up,”
Gallegos says. “We hope that we will be successful enough to face that ‘problem’ again in the future. Unlike many businesses that can forecast their growth, ours is based on winning new business and new clients, which makes it difficult to predict. So, the direction was: Plan a space that allows us to grow, but without concrete specifications of additional staff that might be required or timing.”
Designed by Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects, several interviews were conducted with GG employees before remodeling the space to get a sense of what worked and what didn’t in their previous offices. “The direction we provided was based on a few principles,” Gallegos says. “First, we are a creatively driven organization, and our primary job is to deliver creative marketing solutions for our clients. Second, we [promote] a collaborative culture, so much of the work is done in teams. These teams come from different businesses, marketing disciplines, and cultures. So, the space needed to promote creativity.”
The result was an open, collaborative, and fun work environment, complete with an on-site batting cage, gym, and café. “We work really hard in this industry, and it’s nice to offset that with cool offices that you’re excited about working in,” Gallegos says. “That was the goal.” It’s clear the project was success. Today, the GG office offers a dynamic workspace and culture that the company has worked hard to foster.
