S2 / After the merger: Creating a new identity from the inside out

Date: Sunday, 26 June
Time: 1 – 4 pm
Track: Public Relations

Few things in the corporate world have the ability to throw more challenges at a communicator than a merger. Employee confusion and fear, muddled brand identity, integration issues, operational and cultural conflicts, and a host of other potential pitfalls can impair the success of the merger, and result in lost revenue and weakened reputation. With so much at stake, communicators have the opportunity to play a truly strategic role and make a measurable impact on the company’s success.

This workshop will include tips on:

• Merger triage: assessing the company to differentiate minor flesh wounds from potentially fatal traumas
• Yours, mine & ours: practical techniques for merging corporate cultures to create a new identity
• Minding the gap: is the company living up to the merger announcement hype, or is it heading for a fall?

Presenter / Barbara Gibson, ABC / United Kingdom is a veteran of more than 20 corporate mergers and acquisitions, including some of the world’s largest. Her consultancy, BG Communication, helps companies both before and after their merger. Gibson has received more than three dozen professional awards, including the IABC Gold Quill Award. She currently serves as regional director for IABC Europe and Middle East.