
If there’s one thing that takes up the press release waterfront, it’s M&A in the IT Services market. The big hitters, such as Accenture, Infosys, and Cognizant, have built inorganic growth firmly into their strategies. And the top 25 IT Services firms scoop up hundreds of firms every year.
Once the dotted line is signed, marketing teams in the IT majors rush to get their press releases out. They’ll talk about how much they’ve spent, what executives from both sides were thinking, and brief outlines of what both companies do. But there’s always something missing – they rarely mention why anybody should care.
Of course, the core focus of an acquisition is to bring in something new or additional to help the firm deliver more or better services to clients. But they also present a significant marketing opportunity – to ensure existing clients know of the strategic investment and commitment their partner has to develop their services. So here are three straightforward ways to communicate more effectively the value a new acquisition brings to clients.
- Please focus on the real value: It’s easy to be seduced by the size of the deal and think that quoting big figures and honeyed executive quotations will make the PR for a new acquisition pop. But the reality, particularly for your clients is they simply don’t care. It’s great that you dropped a few million on a design agency – but presumably, there’s more to it? This is where most of the press release real estate should go. Is it a location play, so customers in Australia can suddenly get decent Salesforce talent? Or maybe it’s bringing in a new value proposition entirely – so now clients can use you for their marketing and IT? Focus on the real reason the market should care.
- Know your audience: Besides the analysts and marketeers eager to spread the news of your spending spree, think about which client groups and market segments are going to gain the most from this investment. If it’s a healthcare specialist, use this as an opportunity to talk up your existing capabilities in the industry, and how this acquisition takes them to a new level. Generalized commentary comes across as insincere – when you really want to be persuading existing clients to pick up the phone to their account manager and asking for more information.
- Show the proof: For some bizarre reason, providers continue to miss out on one of the most important market trends – the development of the hyper-cynical buyer. And this new breed wants one thing – proof. So now you’ve focused on what the real value is, it’s time to back it up. Why not throw in a major piece of work that the acquired company completed showing off their capabilities? Or mention significant partnerships or client testimonies they’ve received.
By thinking through these three steps, you can make your next acquisition do much more than supplement your existing capabilities. It should be a testament to the serious strategic investment your firm is making for its customers. Rather than an announcement about how much cash has been spent and how happy executives on all sides are.
We know that not all acquisitions will be truly strategic, where the new whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but you should always couch any communication in a way that demonstrates to clients that there is something in it for them.