Acquisition and integration
The Acquisition Narrative Problem in the First Ninety Days
In the first ninety days after an acquisition, the essential decision is what the combined company now is. Until leadership answers that, integration communication describes activity while customers, employees, and partners construct their own conclusions.
Vizianary Editorial · Published · Updated · Reviewed by Vizianary editorial
Deal rationale is written for the board. It is almost never a usable explanation for a customer, a seller, or an engineer deciding whether to stay.
What must be decided early
- Whether the acquisition extends the existing position or changes it.
- Which customer the combined company organizes around.
- What each brand is now for, if both persist.
- What the combined company will stop doing.
Silence is not neutral
In the absence of an explanation, both organizations continue their prior narratives and the market concludes that nothing strategic happened. That conclusion is difficult to reverse later.