Beyond the Org Chart: Building a Structure for Genuine Media that Actually Scales
When quick growth created organizational chaos, Day1 facilitated a strategic planning and organizational design process to help a media agency create clarity and build the foundation for sustainable expansion.
Background
Genuine Media, a boutique Canadian media planning and buying agency, had built something remarkable: long-standing clients, rapid growth, and a team of 20+ talented professionals. But their success was becoming more than their flat organization structure could handle. Picture this:
Twenty employees reporting to a single manager
Leadership meetings that led to more debates than decisions
Employees receiving unclear communications and conflicting messages from the management team
Facing communication breakdowns, Genuine Media partnered with Day1 to define and articulate a long-term vision and redesign its organizational reporting structure through a proven framework.
The Challenge
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Structural Inefficiency
A flat hierarchy created operational pressure and accountability gaps.
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Communication Challenges
Differences in communication style were resulting in confusion for both employees and senior leadership.
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Strategic Drift
Day-to-day firefighting was distracting from long-term planning, forcing leadership to be reactive instead of strategic.
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Employee Engagement & Retention
Without a clear direction or growth paths defined, leaders worried that top talent would question their career trajectory with the company.
Day1 guided Genuine Media through a strategic planning process, beginning with values clarification and culminating in a fully articulated 10-year vision with a supporting organizational structure to get there. With Day1’s facilitation and support, Genuine Media worked through its:
✔ Core organizational values development
✔ Long-term vision casting and goal setting
✔ Organizational Structure Design - key roles and title realignment
✔ Internal communication protocols
The Solution
The Results
Genuine Media is already seeing measurable benefits from its work with Day1 that go far beyond a simple reorganization.
Long Term Impacts
Employees have been empowered with visible career pathways while leadership has been freed up to focus on strategic initiatives.
Aligned Communication
The leadership team is more aligned than ever, with improved communication and decision-making frameworks that have restored confidence across the organization.
Effective Restructuring
The company has transitioned from a flat, ambiguous structure to a clearly defined hierarchy that supports growth and aligns with its long-term vision.
Shelley Warner
Proprietor, Genuine Media
“What Day1 did for us was not only help us with best practices and putting those into place…
they also found where our internal communication challenges were at the top, and enabled us with some real tactics to be able to solve them."
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