Case Study
Culture Improvement Program
Cox Media
Employee Engagement & Culture Transformation Case Study: Cox Media
Cox Media partnered with Up Your Culture to strengthen employee engagement and leadership alignment across the entire organization
OVERVIEW
Client Snapshot
Company: Cox Media
Industry: Media & Advertising
Challenge: Low engagement and departmental silos across markets
Solution: Up Your Culture engagement strategy and leadership coaching
Focus Areas: Employee engagement, leadership alignment, culture transformation
Services Used: Engagement survey, workshops, coaching, strategic culture planning
About Cox Media
Cox Media is the advertising sales division of Cox Communications, serving approximately 6 million residences and businesses. Their teams help customers reach ideal audiences while operating across multiple markets and leadership structures.
Industry Context
Media organizations often operate across multiple markets and departments, making alignment and communication essential. Strong employee engagement helps leaders reduce silos, improve collaboration, and create consistency across teams. When culture is intentional, organizations are better positioned to support performance, strengthen teamwork, and drive business growth.
“The Up Your Culture program was pretty much perfect and aligned with our needs. All the feedback from our leaders has been wonderful. I wish I had this type of structure when I led a market. I did it on my own and didn’t have a road map. Being given a roadmap but being able to customize it to the needs of each market, like Up Your Culture does, is extremely valuable.”
— Senior Leadership
THE CHALLENGE
Improving Employee Engagement and Culture Alignment
Cox Media recognized the need to enhance employee engagement, foster a people-first mindset, and eliminate departmental barriers. Leaders wanted employees at every level to feel motivated, inspired, and valued while improving collaboration across markets.
Silos between teams were limiting communication, and leadership alignment varied by market. Cox Media sought a structured culture strategy that would improve engagement while supporting business performance.
Goals for the Culture Initiative
- Increase employee engagement
- Shift from a numbers-focused culture to a people-first culture
- Improve collaboration across markets
- Break down departmental silos
- Strengthen leadership alignment
- Reduce turnover
- Improve communication across teams
THE SOLUTION
Up Your Culture Approach to Employee Engagement
Up Your Culture partnered with Cox Media to build a cohesive culture across seven markets. The initiative began with an employee engagement survey to assess the current culture and identify opportunities for improvement.
Using these insights, Up Your Culture developed a customized strategy that included leadership workshops, coaching sessions, and accountability structures designed to improve engagement and collaboration.
Strategy in Action: The Four Engagement Elevators
Shared Mission
Up Your Culture helped Cox Media define mission, vision, and values so employees clearly understood company direction and purpose.
People Development
Leaders created development plans focused on employee growth and stronger working relationships.
Valued Voice
Communication improved through two-way dialogue and increased feedback across departments.
Earned Trust
Transparency increased, helping employees build confidence in leadership and company decisions.
“Leaders were all-in from the beginning, and their enthusiasm has grown as they continue to embrace a people-first culture. In their recent budget presentations, I noticed them leading with their core values and then getting into strategy/financials.”
— Senior Leadership
THE RESULTS
Leadership Impact and Culture Shift
With a clear strategy in place, leaders aligned around a people-first mindset. Workshops and coaching sessions helped leaders stay accountable while improving collaboration across markets.
Teams began prioritizing communication, employee development, and shared accountability. These shifts created momentum for long-term culture transformation.
Results of the Employee Engagement Initiative
After the first year of working with Up Your Culture, every Cox Media market reported improvement.
Leaders observed:
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stronger collaboration
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improved engagement
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reduced silos between teams.
End-of-year engagement surveys showed growth in key areas and confirmed overall improvement in employee engagement and culture alignment.
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By focusing intentionally on employee engagement and leadership alignment, Cox Media strengthened collaboration across markets and created a more cohesive people-first culture. Leaders improved communication, reduced silos, and built long-term momentum for engagement and performance.
What Could a Stronger Culture Unlock for Your Organization?
Let’s talk about your culture goals and how a structured engagement strategy can help your teams collaborate, communicate, and perform at a higher level.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does Up Your Culture help organizations improve?
Up Your Culture helps organizations improve employee engagement, leadership alignment, communication, trust, and overall workplace culture through structured coaching and engagement strategies.
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What results can companies expect from Up Your Culture?
Organizations typically see improved engagement, stronger collaboration, better leadership alignment, reduced silos, and a more people-first culture, contributing to better performance outcomes for the company overall.
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How does Up Your Culture measure employee engagement?
Up Your Culture uses engagement surveys, leadership assessments, and strategic planning sessions to identify opportunities and track culture improvement.