Seven questions every organization is already being asked.
The Seven Core Codes are the seven areas Culture Compass scores when it assesses an organization's public presence. Each code answers one question your audience is already answering about you, is scored from 0 to 100 from three to five weighted subdimensions, and rests only on cited evidence from the public record.
The codes come from the framework Redbird Group's strategists use with clients. Together they describe how an organization is understood from the outside: why it exists, who it serves, what it publishes, how it sounds, where it can be found, whether people respond, and whether it is going anywhere. Scores are absolute; colors rank priority, so the two lowest codes are marked red as the place to start.
01Purpose & Values
Is it clear why this organization exists and what it stands for?
How clearly the organization's reason for existing and its convictions are stated, how distinctive they are, and how consistently independent evidence reflects them. In plain terms, it measures whether an organization's reason for existing and its convictions are clear, distinctive, and echoed by independent sources.
02Audience & Community
Does it know who it serves, and can those people find their way in?
Definition of the people served, the on-ramps that bring newcomers in, independent evidence that the audience responds, and reach that is proportional to the organization's stage. In plain terms, it measures whether an organization knows who it serves, gives newcomers an obvious way in, and reaches an audience proportionate to its stage.
03Content & Creativity
Is it producing work worth paying attention to, and doing it regularly?
Cadence, craft, format range, and creative distinctiveness of what the organization publishes. In plain terms, it measures whether an organization publishes work worth attention on a reliable rhythm, in formats that fit its audience, with a recognizable creative signature.
04Brand Voice & Storytelling
Does it sound like one organization telling one clear story?
Consistency of voice, clarity of narrative, memorability of message, and coherence of visual identity. In plain terms, it measures whether an organization sounds like one organization telling one clear story, in words and in visual identity.
How Brand Voice & Storytelling is scored, and how to raise it →
05Platform Presence & Consistency
Can people find it, and is what they find current and consistent?
Search discoverability, coverage of the platforms that matter for this kind of organization, consistency of profiles, website quality, and recency of activity. In plain terms, it measures whether people can find an organization, and whether what they find is current, consistent, and complete on the platforms that matter for its kind.
How Platform Presence & Consistency is scored, and how to raise it →
06Engagement & Community Building
Are people responding, and is the organization building something with them?
Audience response relative to size, two-way interaction, the infrastructure that turns attention into belonging, and independent advocacy. In plain terms, it measures whether people respond to an organization in proportion to its size, whether it talks back, and whether attention turns into belonging and advocacy.
How Engagement & Community Building is scored, and how to raise it →
07Growth & Impact Strategy
Is there evidence of momentum, results, and a strategy that can scale?
Observable trajectory, documented impact, stated strategy, partnerships, and the capacity to scale. In plain terms, it measures whether there is evidence of momentum and documented results, and a stated strategy, partnerships, and capacity that can scale.
How Growth & Impact Strategy is scored, and how to raise it →
Scores are absolute. Colors rank priority.
Every code uses the same anchors, so a 62 in Purpose & Values means the same thing as a 62 in Growth & Impact Strategy.
| Score | Reads as | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 90 to 100 | Exceptional | independently corroborated strength; the top two codes turn green only above this line |
| 75 to 89 | Strong | clear strength with minor gaps |
| 55 to 74 | Solid foundation | the basics are in place and the gaps are specific and fixable |
| 35 to 54 | Weak or inconsistent | present in places, missing or contradictory in others |
| Below 35 | Largely absent | not there, or working against the organization |
The composite is the average of the seven codes, placed on a percentile among organizations of the same kind. Colors do not judge: the two lowest codes are red, the middle three yellow, and the top two green only when they clear 90, so a strong organization still sees where to focus first. The full method, including the independent critic pass and the benchmarks, is on the methodology page, and every code can be seen on a real organization in the sample reports.
Let's see what
culture is saying.
Start your assessment now and read the report today. Or talk to a Redbird strategist first if you would rather walk through it together.
Know where you stand. Understand what culture is saying. See what comes next.
A Redbird Group product, Nashville.