PURPOSE-DRIVEN PROGRAMS
HEARST | Purpose-Driven Narrative
With the launch of new initiatives meant to “further strengthen the corporation while making a positive difference in our broader society,” Hearst was looking to articulate its vision AND values. I know all about Hearst’s good work—having spent a good part of my career there. And know that the best purpose-driven brand narratives are equal parts pledge, rallying cry, and sermon. After all, if you want to move society to action, you’ve got to move employees first. Can I get an amen?
“This is an absolutely phenomenal time to be a consumer of media,” says Hearst’s CEO, Steven Swartz. We think it’s a pretty amazing time to be creators of it, too. And nowhere more so than at Hearst.
With 67% of workers expecting their employer to have a greater purpose; and consumers unwilling to buy from companies who don’t value purpose as well as profit, the pressing issues of gender equality, opioids, climate change (and others) are now ours to effect. It’s a new era where making money and making an impact go hand in hand. And Hearst is poised to make the most of it. As the world’s leading diversified media, information and services company, we’ve been actively engaged with our communities long before the current culture demanded it.
And we never stop acting like one. Like today’s startups, we’ve built purpose into our business from the ground up. From disaster relief telethons at Hearst TV stations to Hearst Health’s annual prize for population health, doing good is in Hearst’s DNA. With today’s employees insistent on jobs that provide the chance to make a difference, Hearst offers more of them than possibly any other company on earth. And has more of what it takes to thrive in this hugely disruptive period in American history: An entrepreneurial mindset that has always been pioneering and purpose-driven; And a shared, can-do spirit eager to embrace what business must do.
Those pressing issues that could leave some struggling to define their purpose find Hearst living it. You see it in Hearst Television’s “State of Addiction” initiative, which examines the opioid epidemic’s effect on the communities we serve. It’s behind the renewable, solar energy produced at Hearst’s Jack Ranch, which displaces 109,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually; And at the heart of HearstLab’s investment in women-led startups—aimed at leveling the playing field for female entrepreneurs. And as society’s call for purpose continues to change the game, we’re upping ours—looking beyond our businesses and donating our time to mentor post-9/11 veterans.
With all the pivoting in digital and data, our moral compass stays pointed in the same direction. Come to Hearst, and you’ll quickly come to know our values. Whether addressing product safety with The Good Housekeeping Institute, years before there was an FDA; or improving senior care through Homecare Homebase—our shared mission to inform, inspire and improve lives has always been crystal clear. We know that bridging the purpose gap makes it ownable. Actionable. Joinable. It’s why employees who work at companies with a clearly defined purpose are twice as likely to be passionate about their work. And why 90% of companies with a clearly defined purpose outperform their industry.
With 70% saying a company’s sustainability impacts their decision to stay—millennials have been pegged the “purpose generation.” And boomers “over achievers.” But Hearst’s mission-driven, cross-generational community defies such pigeonholing. Here, you’re not a demographic. You’re a partner in change. We’re not defined by “generations”—but by our shared values of innovation, storytelling, creativity, vision, social good and partnership. By the importance we place in relationships. And by a shared desire to make an impact… for generations to come.
Frank Bennack says, “It isn’t what you know, how hard you work, or how clever you are. It’s not even who you know. It’s how other people know you.” And if we’re known for anything, it’s being a good partner. It’s why Oprah Winfrey chose us to create her namesake magazine—the biggest launch in industry history. Why the management team of CAMP—a tracking software company that ensures aircraft safety—calls Hearst a ”terrific home.” And had his team not built relationships with ABC, says Bennack, one of the greatest media purchases of the late 20th century, ESPN, might never have happened.
Partners like these provide the new perspectives that help our employees grow—and company thrive. Hearst’s belief that great minds SHOULDN’T think alike has attracted many who were ahead of their time. And helped us change the times. We believe our biggest asset is our mix of different backgrounds, cultures, and disciplines. And the divergent thinking that comes with it. We take pride in the fact that every day is different… like every employee. And that you can find a role as unique as you are.
“The CEO’s job is to create an environment for talented people to succeed,” says Steven Swartz. It’s one where divergent thinking is valued. And where what we do is of value to others. Where we’re inspired to be game changers, thought leaders, truth tellers, and good neighbors. And empowered to make our jobs our own—by the many ways we make a difference.
Mark Twain said the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. When a job allows you to make a truly lasting impact on people’s lives, we believe a workday can feel like that day.
We’re Hearst Minds at Work. A global company powered by the intelligence, experience, creativity, ingenuity, caring and problem-solving skills of nearly 20,000 team members. A diverse community purposefully engaged in the mission to build something great. And be part of something greater.