Telling the Schibsted story

For years Schibsted has been the hidden parent company behind a portfolio of some of the most appreciated companies in the Nordics. Today, Schibsted, a brand that has existed for over 180 years, is also growing into an identity of its own.

Schibsted’s history goes back all the way to 1839 and Christian Schibsted’s printing business. Ever since it’s been a story of transformation, entrepreneurship and carrying the torch for independent media and freedom of speech.

But although it’s a strong and compelling story, it’s not very well-known – for a long time Schibsted has been an unknown owner behind a portfolio of some of the strongest brands in the Nordics. It has always been, and still is, our brands that should shine the brightest. However, the need for a stronger parent brand has gradually risen.

We are becoming consumer-facing

There are many reasons for this. Employer branding and the war for talent requires a clear identity. How do we attract the best people if they don’t know who we are and what we aspire to be?

Promising startups and companies that Schibsted would like to invest in, will want a partner they understand, respect and believe they can build a long-term relationship with.

And, Schibsted is also becoming a consumer-facing brand of its own, with our login and identity service Schibsted account. Owning the data of customers interacting with our companies, also means the need to build trust in Schibsted. And trust demands a certain level of knowledge and understanding of who we are.

That said, in order to build a strong brand, you need to have the right tools in place, and understand that strategy and branding are two sides of the same coin. That’s why, in the spring of 2021, we launched our overarching strategy and identity, Schibsted Future State. This defines what Schibsted is and should aim to be, what sets us apart as a company and why we exist. It’s what we want Schibsted to be, in the hearts and minds of people connecting with us.

Our three main pillars

These are the three main pillars explaining who we are – our mission, our vision and our character:

What do we do? Empower people in their daily lives.
Why do we do it? To uphold a society built on trust and transparency.
How do we do it? As a fearless force for change.

To express what is true and important all across Schibsted we have also created a set of uniting principles. They say something about how we approach business across our family of brands and how we work together. Not every principle will seem relevant all the time, but they set the standard Schibsted brands should aspire to, and codes of conduct that no brand strategy or value should violate.

• We take leading positions
• We create exceptional user value by sharing data and capabilities
• We champion a responsible internet
• We are more than the sum of our parts
• We think big and long term
• We know the power of local.
• We are accountable
• We are entrepreneurial

 A family story

Schibsted Future State does not replace our brands’ individual mission, strategy or value. Rather, it serves to complement them. However, it says something about our family, the history and legacy that connect us, and the future we want to create together. What we do want, is for people to understand Schibsted as the parent that orchestrates our family of brands.

It is our ambition, though it may take some time, that most people working in Schibsted will easily be able to sum up what our strategy is. When all our business decisions are aligned with our strategy, when there’s a clear coherency and consistency in how we tell our story to everyone out there; from potential employees, to customers travelling through our digital services and channels that’s when people can start to really evaluate how loveable Schibsted as a brand really is.