We’ve talked for years about the possibility of changing our corporate name to something other than “Independent Newspapers, Inc.”
We haven’t felt very urgent about it because we feel that our product branding --- the names of our individual products --- is much more important than the corporate name. Promoting the individual products will continue to take priority.
Still, the corporate name no longer fits us very well --- and it is important to our own people and for recruiting new employees.
We’re still independent --- and dedicated to staying independent --- so that part of our name is fitting. But we’re no longer just a publisher of newspapers; our Internet and printing operations are vital parts of what we do and growing more important every year. And the “Inc.” part of our name sounds more bureaucratic and officious than is fitting for the unique company that Independent has become.
So, instead of formally changing our corporate name, we’re thinking of adopting a new style for promoting the company internally and for recruiting purposes: We would keep “Independent”. We would de-emphasize “Newspapers” and “Inc.”. And we would add two new positioning lines. The result:
We haven’t felt very urgent about it because we feel that our product branding --- the names of our individual products --- is much more important than the corporate name. Promoting the individual products will continue to take priority.
Still, the corporate name no longer fits us very well --- and it is important to our own people and for recruiting new employees.
We’re still independent --- and dedicated to staying independent --- so that part of our name is fitting. But we’re no longer just a publisher of newspapers; our Internet and printing operations are vital parts of what we do and growing more important every year. And the “Inc.” part of our name sounds more bureaucratic and officious than is fitting for the unique company that Independent has become.
So, instead of formally changing our corporate name, we’re thinking of adopting a new style for promoting the company internally and for recruiting purposes: We would keep “Independent”. We would de-emphasize “Newspapers” and “Inc.”. And we would add two new positioning lines. The result:
Independent
Daring to be different
Printing/Publications/Websites
Another variation would be to formally change “Newspapers” to “News”, so that we would become “Independent News”.
Please email me to let me know if you like these possible new ways of presenting ourselves, or if you have suggestions for improvement.
But while you’re thinking about it, allow me to explain how we came up with the “daring to be different” line.
Independent has never been a company that just “follows the crowd”. To illustrate, let us count some of the ways we’ve dared to be different:
1. Ethics & courtesy. We are committed to upholding high ethical standards in all of our dealings. We attempt to treat every individual (inside the company and outside) with courtesy.
2. Mutual success. We achieve success by helping our employees, customers and communities become more successful. For example, to make sure there are no conflicts of interest our sales people are salaried professionals instead of commissioned.
3. Independence. While most publishing companies have sold out to Wall Street investors to get cash out for their owners and are now subject to the pressures of the financial community, 100% of our stock is owned by a non-profit trust that is dedicated to perpetuating our long-term independence.
4. Reinvestment. Since we have no private or public owners, we don’t pay dividends. All after-tax profits are reinvested in the company. We take risks when we feel it’s necessary, but generally manage conservatively to make sure we’re always able to fulfill all of our obligations without fail.
5. Mission. Our mission is to make sure the citizens in our free society can access the information they need to make good decisions, and that everybody has a voice in the public discourse. We take this seriously and actually do this proactively every day; it isn’t just lip service.
6. Neutrality. Our most sacred obligation is to use purposeful neutrality in reporting the news and facilitating public discussions. Unlike most other media, we don’t take sides. We let all viewpoints be heard, and we honor the public’s right to make decisions.
7. No hidden agenda. We believe that the freedoms of speech and the press belong to every citizen, not just to the powerful or to the journalistic elite. We don’t promote our own agenda, but instead see ourselves as humble servants of the people. This means no editorials to promote our own views --- and lots of space for citizens to discuss their views.
8. No favorites. Every citizen’s voice is equally as important to us, regardless of wealth or power. Our smallest customer deserves the same dedication, fair play and courtesy from us as the largest. Employees are judged strictly on their performance, not on extraneous factors like gender, race or creed or family connections.
9. Shared leadership. We strive for leadership, not for supervision. Our senior leaders must make decisions, but they are pledged to consider input from those who will be most affected by the decisions and have proven themselves as dependable producers. Our leaders may challenge and coach their associates, but every individual is held accountable for his or her own self-management and productivity. People who need constant supervision are encouraged to seek employment elsewhere.
10. Embracing change. We maintain our basic values and purposes, but continuously and proactively change everything else to meet changing needs. One example is the way we are embracing the Internet instead of being threatened by it. Another is our continuing battle against bureaucracy and hierarchy, and our constant search for “brilliant simplicity” in all we do.
Please email me to let me know if you like these possible new ways of presenting ourselves, or if you have suggestions for improvement.
But while you’re thinking about it, allow me to explain how we came up with the “daring to be different” line.
Independent has never been a company that just “follows the crowd”. To illustrate, let us count some of the ways we’ve dared to be different:
1. Ethics & courtesy. We are committed to upholding high ethical standards in all of our dealings. We attempt to treat every individual (inside the company and outside) with courtesy.
2. Mutual success. We achieve success by helping our employees, customers and communities become more successful. For example, to make sure there are no conflicts of interest our sales people are salaried professionals instead of commissioned.
3. Independence. While most publishing companies have sold out to Wall Street investors to get cash out for their owners and are now subject to the pressures of the financial community, 100% of our stock is owned by a non-profit trust that is dedicated to perpetuating our long-term independence.
4. Reinvestment. Since we have no private or public owners, we don’t pay dividends. All after-tax profits are reinvested in the company. We take risks when we feel it’s necessary, but generally manage conservatively to make sure we’re always able to fulfill all of our obligations without fail.
5. Mission. Our mission is to make sure the citizens in our free society can access the information they need to make good decisions, and that everybody has a voice in the public discourse. We take this seriously and actually do this proactively every day; it isn’t just lip service.
6. Neutrality. Our most sacred obligation is to use purposeful neutrality in reporting the news and facilitating public discussions. Unlike most other media, we don’t take sides. We let all viewpoints be heard, and we honor the public’s right to make decisions.
7. No hidden agenda. We believe that the freedoms of speech and the press belong to every citizen, not just to the powerful or to the journalistic elite. We don’t promote our own agenda, but instead see ourselves as humble servants of the people. This means no editorials to promote our own views --- and lots of space for citizens to discuss their views.
8. No favorites. Every citizen’s voice is equally as important to us, regardless of wealth or power. Our smallest customer deserves the same dedication, fair play and courtesy from us as the largest. Employees are judged strictly on their performance, not on extraneous factors like gender, race or creed or family connections.
9. Shared leadership. We strive for leadership, not for supervision. Our senior leaders must make decisions, but they are pledged to consider input from those who will be most affected by the decisions and have proven themselves as dependable producers. Our leaders may challenge and coach their associates, but every individual is held accountable for his or her own self-management and productivity. People who need constant supervision are encouraged to seek employment elsewhere.
10. Embracing change. We maintain our basic values and purposes, but continuously and proactively change everything else to meet changing needs. One example is the way we are embracing the Internet instead of being threatened by it. Another is our continuing battle against bureaucracy and hierarchy, and our constant search for “brilliant simplicity” in all we do.
Please email me at joesmyth@aol.com to let me know if you think we’re on the right track!
(Joe Smyth is the board chair & CEO of Independent Newspapers, Inc. He can be reached at JoeSmyth@aol.com. )
