Communicating Who We Really Are

by Valerie Nicole van den Berg, IOS Press, Amsterdam, NL

When I started working as an intern at IOS Press, I found it difficult to find information on the company’s culture, future plans, or employees. My initial impression was that of a strict, formal, conservative, and perhaps even old-fashioned company. In my nearly 2 years working on the branding strategy at IOS Press, I have learned that my first impression was completely incorrect, and that the company is more flexible, nurturing, and innovative than I ever anticipated.

In 2019, I began working at IOS Press as an intern in the marketing department as part of the final requirement for my BA Media and Entertainment Management at NHL Stenden in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands. This culminated last year, when I submitted my thesis on defining, improving, and better communicating the IOS Press corporate brand. 

Brand recognition

For nearly 35 years, IOS Press has been solidifying its position as a successful independent scientific/technical/medical (STM) publisher. The company has grown to publish a portfolio of journals and books that are highly regarded by a range of scientific communities. However, in my almost two years at IOS Press, I’ve learned that while people are very familiar with some of our titles, they are not familiar with IOS Press as the company publishing these titles – a problem of brand recognition and brand identity.

After researching the STM publishing industry, company, and internal culture, a project group was created consisting of several colleagues from several different departments. Together, we worked on improving IOS Press branding and messaging through analyses, interviews, brainstorming, and testing. We determined the company’s strengths and weaknesses (internal) and assessed opportunities and threats (external). We established our next steps with one question in mind: How can we become better at communicating who we really are?

Our real identity

Using a theory by van der Grinten and Weijnand-Schut (see Box 1), the project team focused on establishing IOS Press’ ideal identity (proposed brand elements), true identity (internal perception), and its physical brand identity. The aim was to create a brand that depicts IOS Press’ modern and flexible nature more clearly than it currently does. In order to create our ideal identity, several new brand elements have been formulated and tested internally, which have resulted in new:

• Mission statement
• Vision statement
• Core values

These brand elements have been tested internally throughout the development process, which has contributed to an atmosphere of inclusivity and transparency. Many conversations were held with colleagues from all departments, and I tried to make sure to implement everyone’s feedback through all stages of our work. As part of my thesis, colleagues from across the company were invited to participate in interviews regarding the current brand identity, internal culture, and the proposed new brand elements. This resulted in extremely valuable feedback from several departments in the construction of this ideal identity.