Case Study: No Fixed Address
Better than most is still not good enough.
ROI: Reduced Attrition
The Challenge
Canada’s fastest-growing advertising agency, No Fixed Address, expanded from 100 to 300
employees during COVID. While proud of their vibrant culture, leadership recognized potential
blind spots around systemic racism and asked Breakfast Culture to conduct a Workplace Culture Assessment.
What surfaced was bigger than race: employees highlighted concerns about ageism and revealed that 40% identified as neurodiverse. Without intervention, attrition was a real risk, and culture cracks could widen.
The Solution
Breakfast Culture used our five-phase Workplace Culture Assessment process to collect demographic data and measure employee belonging across NFA’s integrated grid of agencies. We held leadership strategy sessions to co-create a path forward, focusing on:
-
Defining a clear culture and belonging vision to avoid ambiguity.
-
Holding leaders accountable for visible action, not just intent.
-
Clarifying job descriptions and career paths.
-
Updating hiring practices and improving communication to reflect progress.
The Results
-
Reduced turnover as new office design and leadership practices addressed inclusion and belonging gaps.
-
Culture change at scale: NFA not only tackled systemic racism but also created space for neurodiverse and
multigenerational talent to thrive.
-
Industry recognition: With stronger foundations, NFA and Mischief @ NFA earned top accolades,
including Gold at Strategy’s Agency of the Year and global recognition from Ad Age, Fast Company,
and Campaign.
As NFA’s CEO Dave Lafond put it: “Better than most is still not good enough…
It became clear Breakfast Culture was the right partner for us as we embark on this journey.”
