One More Chance for The Hot Blast:
A Case Study
In Summer 2023, The ORG Detectives began working closely with Consolidated Publishing Co., Inc., based in Anniston, Alabama. The company publishes two twice-weeklies (The Anniston Star and The Daily Home), a requestor weekly (The St. Clair Times), and two glossy magazines (one monthly, the other quarterly). We believe it shows much courage for a business — in this case a storied company that began publishing The Anniston Hot Blast in 1911 — to admit it could use some help. Our firm thanks the publishers and numerous staff members for being willing to go on camera to reflect aloud on the ongoing turnaround project. For a list of the various change projects within the greater effort, download the case study PDF.
A Moment of Truth
In September 2023, the ownership communicated clearly to all staff that despite a reduction-in-force several months earlier, the company was still suffering significant losses and needed to change how it operated on multiple levels. Not only did operating expenses need to be cut dramatically, but significant new revenue had to be generated by creating new products and making a more dramatic commitment to digital advertising products. The choice was clear: change the dance steps or cease to be a viable company.
President and Co-Publisher J.C. Blucher Ehringhaus III reflects on the ongoing turnaround project. Mr. Ehringhaus stepped into the role when his sister, Josephine Ehringhaus Ayers, passed away in November 2023 at age 83. Ms. Ayers was married to H. Brandt Ayers who led his family’s newspaper from 1965 until March 2019. Mr. Ayers died in May 2020.
Numbers Told the Story
Analysis identified which editions of the newspapers were the largest money losers. Those were eliminated, and our firm led change projects to create new publications: A glossy magazine called Foothills and topical enewsletters that very quickly attained open rates of 25 to 40 percent. Analyzing sales data, a new commission plan was instituted that did a better job of motivating reps to reach gross revenue goals and higher. As sales reps left or retired, new reps were hired who esteemed print but who had a strong inclination toward digital.
Leading with Local
Editorial stopped running “old news” from national and international syndication. A portion of state wire was preserved, but the newsroom doubled down on hyperlocal coverage, including prep and local college sports. In order that the newsroom could focus more on content creation, pagination was outsourced to a third-party (though one of the displaced workers immediately went to work for the vendor). A “daily digital” culture began to be created whereby stories were posted immediately rather than all at once on print production days. The digital reader’s user experience became important.
More Than Just House Ads
Traditionally, newspapers never had to market themselves in the community. That’s not the case anymore, as there is so much more competition these days for readership and advertising. Our firm conducted an online survey and focus groups to understand the demands of East Alabama’s readership market. The company began experimenting with new branding and design while deploying multi-channel ad campaigns that included radio, billboards, third-party magazine, mass mailing and kiosks.
Identifying Internal Leaders
At the time The ORG Detectives became involved, the client was without an on-the-ground general manager or other enterprise leader. Our firm created a number of committees where the change projects lived: Design, Analytics, Editorial, and Advertising. Working together closely on a weekly and daily basis it became clear which staff enjoyed leading or supporting change. Ownership elevated those individuals into roles and positions where they could have greater influence on change projects.
Responding to Opposition
“Don’t work with the consultants. They’ll go away soon.”
It only takes one employee to kill a company culture. By contrast, when everyone in the room is focused on moving forward, the air is electric. Change is difficult for a number of completely understandable reasons, but is crucial that employees get aligned with the new strategy. In this project, a number of employees left the company once they realized the consultants were not going away and the owners were going to be relentless in their quest for change.
Buying Crucial Time
Two years after beginning the change work it is clear the work is not finished. However, the company is in a better place now to take its evolution to the next level. There are a number of critical elements, such as an annual budget, an org chart, and a marketing plan. The company is more liquid than it was and can closely predict its month-to-month cash flows. There is an enhanced culture of innovation, not just in terms of new products, but in terms of continually improving processes.
There is nothing magic about change management.
But vision and determination are required.
Consultants can help achieve turnaround through sound advice and managing change projects, but we cannot be the main drivers. Owners set the level of commitment by providing clear goals, a sense of urgency, a license to experiment, consistent communication, and being honest whenever an aspect of the change process isn’t working. Owners must be willing to make hard decisions that serve long term company viability rather than the agendas of anyone who may feel strongly invested in the status quo.
The ORG Detectives are open to working with additional clients in 2026. Please reach out at your earliest convenience to discuss ways we might work together.