Public Relations and Media

Building Communication Strategies During Mergers and Acquisitions

Turn merger communication from a stated policy into a practice your organisation can evidence.

  • 5training days
  • 4modules
  • 8sessions
  • 32topics
View packages and pricesCourse outline
Building Communication Strategies During Mergers and Acquisitions
5days

About the programme

Course Overview

Reputation built over years is re-assessed publicly within hours when merger communication is mishandled. The first version of a story about this part of communications and media practice tends to become the reference version. The difficulty is not agreeing that the communications and media practice capability matters — it is deciding what to stop doing to make room for it. The programme builds the judgement to know which parts of merger communication to standardise and which to leave flexible. Mature organisations treat the wider communications and media practice agenda as a standing capability rather than a project that finishes. It suits anyone whose decisions touch this part of communications and media practice, in large organisations and small ones alike. This programme builds merger communication from first principles, without padding and without omitting what matters. The teaching approach is deliberately practical: participants build a communications plan for this aspect of communications and media practice as they go. Participants leave with a plan for this strand of communications and media practice sized to what their organisation can realistically absorb.

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Define the scope and boundaries of merger communication so that responsibility for it is unambiguous.

  • Measure the effect of communication on merger communication beyond volume of coverage.

  • Manage communication with regulators and officials about merger communication.

  • Agree the first three actions on merger communication that will be taken on returning to work.

  • Align communication on merger communication with legal and regulatory constraints.

  • Estimate what merger communication costs to run properly, and what is lost when it is not.

  • Design the digital and social response protocol for merger communication.

Who Should Attend

  • Internal communications staff explaining merger communication to employees.

  • Content producers creating material about merger communication.

  • Spokespeople and executives who speak publicly about merger communication.

  • Team leaders and supervisors who put merger communication into practice day to day.

  • Quality staff verifying that merger communication performs as designed.

  • Public relations and communications managers responsible for merger communication.

Course Modules

Open any module to see its sessions and topics.

01

Merger communication: measurement beyond coverage volume

2 sessions · 8 points

Session 1Who decides what during a crisis involving merger communication

  • Sequence internal notification about merger communication ahead of external release.
  • Prepare the holding statement for merger communication in advance.
  • Identify the data already collected that bears on merger communication.
  • Configure monitoring that flags coverage of merger communication within the hour.

Session 2Rebuilding trust after merger communication

  • Agree who signs off statements on merger communication outside working hours.
  • Establish who is informed, consulted and accountable in merger communication.
  • Rehearse the briefing on merger communication that would follow an incident.
  • Set the review interval for merger communication and who attends.
02

Merger communication: media relations and the working journalist

2 sessions · 8 points

Session 1Correcting a false story about merger communication without amplifying it

  • Arrange the handover of merger communication so capability survives staff changes.
  • Prepare the response for the most likely failure in merger communication.
  • Identify the journalists who actually cover merger communication and what they need.
  • Check communication on merger communication against legal and regulatory constraint.

Session 2Apologising for merger communication credibly

  • Confirm that those complying with merger communication understand why it exists.
  • Decide in advance when to correct misinformation about merger communication and when not to.
  • Define acceptance criteria for merger communication in advance.
  • Close out actions on merger communication rather than leaving them open indefinitely.
03

Merger communication: monitoring, sentiment and early warning

2 sessions · 8 points

Session 1The hard cases in merger communication and how to reason about them

  • Establish the boundary of merger communication and record what sits outside it.
  • Build a stakeholder map for merger communication and the message each needs.
  • Set escalation thresholds for merger communication that work out of hours.
  • Assign responsibility for keeping documentation of merger communication current.

Session 2Answering the hostile question about merger communication

  • Set out how exceptions to merger communication are requested and approved.
  • Set the response time target for enquiries about merger communication.
  • Agree what will be standardised in merger communication and what will not.
  • Prepare the acknowledgement for merger communication that does not evade responsibility.
04

Merger communication: crisis preparation, roles and authority

2 sessions · 8 points

Session 1The cost of merger communication and how to present it

  • Draft materials on merger communication that need no rewriting to be published.
  • Review whether coverage of merger communication changed anything that matters.
  • Define what success in communicating merger communication looks like, numerically.
  • Name the crisis roles for merger communication and confirm authority to speak.

Session 2Where merger communication typically breaks, and why

  • Write the three key messages on merger communication and test them against hard questions.
  • Rehearse the hostile interview on merger communication with a real challenger.
  • Remove steps in merger communication that add effort without adding assurance.
  • Check that merger communication still works when volumes rise unexpectedly.

Choose the package that suits you

Silver Package

At least 3 people

USD1,250
  • Workshop or Program Participation
  • Airport Transfers
  • Customized Badge
  • Expert Mentorship (Private Sessions)
  • Supervision & Secretarial Services
  • Accredited Certificate of Participation
  • Complete Training Kit
  • Coffee Break
  • Closing Ceremony

Gold Package

At least 3 people

USD1,850
  • 5-night stay in a 5-star hotel
  • Workshop or Program Participation
  • Airport Transfers
  • Customized Badge
  • Expert Mentorship (Private Sessions)
  • Supervision & Secretarial Services
  • Accredited Certificate of Participation
  • Complete Training Kit
  • Coffee Break
  • Closing Ceremony

Complete your registration

We will contact you within one business day to confirm.

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