Marketing After an Acquisition: A Full Playbook for Accelerated Growth

Every day, businesses acquire other businesses. One of the things that very few businesses who are in the acquisition game do well is marketing. How do you take a business that you've brought underneath your business, retain its identity, retain its value in the marketplace, and promote it so that it grows, allowing your investment to appreciate? This is something that M&A specialists often struggle with and something I frequently consult on. When companies acquire numerous brands, how do we get that message out into the world without muddying the waters, without making it confusing? How do we make it clear to people both internally and externally, this is who we are now and this is what we are providing?

I’m going to walk you through a very simple process—a kind of playbook with phases for building and rebuilding brands after an acquisition. This is a valuable skill to acquire. If you are in marketing, I would say listen closely. If you can nail this and offer it to businesses, you will definitely have a growing market. Let’s dive into the actual playbook I have here, which is straightforward and easy to replicate.

Defining the Project Goal

When a parent company acquires another company, the project goal is to create a repeatable process using action-oriented playbooks and a standardized protocol for growth-oriented marketing efforts. Many times, businesses that acquire other businesses have done the valuation and understood their market dynamics. They often have additional ideas for how the acquired company could grow, which usually include new marketing efforts. It’s crucial not to throw out the old in favor of the new entirely. Keep the good, leave the bad, and begin to build the business in a strategic and meaningful way that adds value to it. This requires some initial analysis.

Phase 1: Initial Evaluation

Here's the starting point:

Evaluating Existing Brand Against Growth Goals

The first step is to evaluate if the current brand is capable of moving the business in the direction you want. Is it capable of selling what you want it to sell? Is it capable of selling at the level you want? This evaluation needs to happen to determine if changes are necessary.

Digital Presence Evaluation

It is essential to dive deep into all the digital properties owned by the acquired company. This includes understanding how they are currently messaging on these platforms, as you will have to implement some change management.

Culture Evaluation

Understand who is involved in marketing and messaging within the acquired company. Identify who actually has the power versus who says they have the power. Analyze the digital capabilities of the culture and how capable they are of creating content and doing what is necessary to get the messaging out.

Phase Objectives

• Finalize a brand plan: Determine if changes are needed and define the core story, messaging, presence, and audience.
• Digital presence: Plan who manages things and owns processes, strategies, and tactics. Create an initial content run, including press releases, blogs, SEO, and social media.
• Culture: Develop a collaboration plan for digital growth and ensure buy-in from key stakeholders.

Phase 2: Deep Dive

Here's the second phase.

Brand Playbook

Develop a comprehensive brand playbook that includes the audience, management, marketing strategy, inbound and outbound processes, and best practices for building marketing funnels and infrastructures.

Digital Presence Audit

Continue auditing all digital platforms, marketing technology, and operational technology. Ensure everything is working together and identify areas that need improvement.

Culture Integration

Start at the top to ensure leadership alignment on goals and strategy. Build relationships with those who will execute the plan, such as marketing directors, coordinators, and sales teams.

Phase Objectives

• Create a detailed playbook outlining the marketing strategy and implementation plan.
• Develop an inbound and outbound marketing plan for digital platforms.
• Extend digital growth involvement throughout the business to ensure everyone is aligned with the mission.

Phase 3: Implementation

Now, to action.

Brand Implementation

Execute the plan through rewrites, redesigns, and creating hype around the relaunch. Ensure the new brand image and story are clearly communicated to the audience.

Digital Presence Implementation

Implement project and process management tools to standardize and measure digital marketing activities. This ensures clarity at every level of leadership on what is being achieved and how.

Culture Reinforcement

Foster a culture that embraces technology and innovation. Ensure continuous training and upskilling to keep everyone engaged and motivated towards the common goal.

Phase Objectives

• Achieve a cohesive brand image and a well-defined audience.
• Develop an intentionally structured digital process and measurable marketing funnels.
• Cultivate a collaborative and engaged group of leaders and employees dedicated to digital growth.

Marketing Post-Acquisition

Marketing after an acquisition is a complex task that requires a strategic approach. By evaluating the existing brand, digital presence, and culture, and by creating a detailed playbook and implementing it effectively, you can ensure the acquired business grows and thrives. This process is essential for realizing the value of your investment and achieving long-term success.