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Communication During Mergers and Acquisitions
May 2008 | Volume 6 Issue 5
From Microsoft’s recent attempts to acquire Yahoo to the potential union of U.S. airline giants Delta and Northwest, mergers and acquisitions continue to make front-page news and play a vital role in business. In this issue of CW Bulletin, our experts explore the role communication should play in the pre- and post-merger phases, and demonstrate how communication can be the key to merger success.
Natasha Nicholson
Executive Editor
Amanda Aiello
Associate Editor |
Features
PLANNING MERGER COMMUNICATION
by Norman Birnbach
The media may love hostile takeover attempts, but of the more than 8,795 mergers and acquisitions deals announced worldwide this year, the vast majority have been friendly. Friendly or hostile, for a communication team, planning M&A communication is not only their most confidential assignment but may also be their most important one, since an M&A deal is a great opportunity to reposition the company.
THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATIONS
by Paul M. Sanchez, ABC, APR
Multinational organizations around the globe frequently look to growth through acquisition or merger as one of the most effective ways to achieve strategic goals. In order to achieve these goals, communication must be comprehensive, integrated and timely in each phase of a merger.
EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION
by Susan Grantham
As the business world becomes more global, chances are there will be an increase in the number of mergers, many of which will combine organizations in similar industries, but with employees who do not share a similar cultural background.
BENEFITS COMMUNICATION
by Phil Cobb
You walk into the office with your workday all planned. Then you turn on your computer and read the e-mail titled “Greetings” from your CEO. It states that your company will merge with its competitor.
Suddenly, a big job now looms ahead of you—communicating to the organization’s employees what will happen to their benefits and compensation programs.
BRANDING
by Gail Steckler
Before a merger, the value of the business is traditionally assessed through examining sales, expenses, liabilities, assets, and recent sales of businesses in similar industries and locations. But this practice can leave serious money on the table. To show the worth of a pre-merger business, brand developers and marketing communicators need to understand and present the company brand and how it adds value to the organization.
Columns
Consulting? Freelancing? Moonlighting?
You Need to Sing a Different Tune About Yourself
by Natalie Canavor and Claire Meirowitz
When you’re not aiming at a staff position, a traditional résumé like those we talked about in our last column won’t be much help in competing for work. Few prospective employers have the patience to wade through your career chronology to figure out if you are a good bet to write that article, brochure or script. Yet many of us travel between the in-house and independent universes—occasionally or as a way of life—so we need a good way to market ourselves as freelancers. What to do?
Working with Purpose
by Daria Steigman
Patricia DiVecchio believes that too often, we’re operating under old business models that are better suited to the industrial revolution than the technology revolution happening all around us. The old models are just not sustainable, she says. To address this problem, she has developed Purposeful Business Circles to bring entrepreneurs together to transform the way they live and work.
The King Is Dead, Long Live the King
by Bill Jensen
It was bound to happen. Nothing lasts forever. If your work involves internal communication, about a year and a half ago you officially lost your job, your title and all associated rights and privileges.
Even if it feels like nothing changed, you’ve been worm food for some time now, and no one has had the heart to tell you. So allow me…
- “Choose Your News,” Foster’s Group Ltd.
- “Positioned for Growth: BAE Systems’ Reorganization and Acquisition of United Defense,” BAE Systems Inc.
- “Conexus Merger 2006,” Conexus
- “PSEG Merger-Related Internal Communications,” PSEG
Communication in the News
Related Resources provides additional articles and resources for understanding this month’s topic of communication during mergers and acquisitions. You can also find some of these links alongside each corresponding feature article for quick reference. Links include:
- “Good Communication Is Key for Smooth M&A Transition,” by David Yeghiaian
- “Successful Branding for Mergers and Acquisitions,” by Laura Pasternak
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