Resource Topics: acquisition

When To Set a PR Strategy Announcing the Acquisition of a Company

After hitting a low in 2022, software mergers and acquisitions are bouncing back. This year, we’ve seen several clients announce acquisitions, including 1WorldSync’s acquisition of atrify GmbH and ArisGlobal’s acquisition of SPORIFY. 

We know acquisitions take a lot of work, from courting potential prospects to deliberating with your team to, ultimately, making the final decision to make the acquisition! 

However, while there are a lot of moving parts to an acquisition, it’s essential to form a SaaS PR strategy that will help your company amplify the news of the acquisition to all of your stakeholders — from securing coverage in industry-focused publications that speak to your customers and prospects, to grabbing mentions in M&A-focused outlets that potential investors might read.

To ensure this announcement goes off without a hitch, here’s when — and why — to tell your PR firm about the companies you’re acquiring.

When and why should I tell my PR team about a potential acquisition?

The short answer is “as soon as you know.” After all, there’s no such thing as too much prep time. The good news is that you likely have an NDA with your PR firm, so giving them an early heads up — sometimes even when you just hear whispers of a potential deal — will set them up for success.

The acquisition process can move quickly after the deal is solidified, and you don’t want your PR team left in the dust. Even before you have all the details, your PR team can begin devising an announcement strategy, drafting a press release outline, and identifying potential media targets — all things they’ll build upon once the details are finalized. If you wait too long to tell them, you risk rushing the strategy and outreach process. And there’s nothing worse than losing out on coverage because you didn’t give the media enough time to care — or your PR team enough time to think about why reporters should care.

For example, our team was flagged for a potential acquisition at the end of May. Immediately, we jumped on calls with the company executives to talk about the “why” behind the acquisition and gain some insight into what it meant for the market. Armed with this information, we prepared a press release outline and FAQ document and discussed an announcement strategy. 

Nearly a month and a half later, we were ready for the big day in July. Because we had time to prepare a strategy, assets and talk tracks, we could focus entirely on pitching the big news to the right reporters — with enough time for them to write a story. It resulted in 20+ hits during announcement week on target industry and financial trade outlets, alongside a feature in the Wall Street Journal.

Plan your SaaS PR strategy early

When a company acquires another company, it’s something people should know about! As your acquisition approaches, remember your PR strategy to ensure your big news gets to the right people with the right message.

Have an acquisition announcement coming up and need help forming your SaaS PR strategy? To learn more, contact BLASTmedia President Lindsey Groepper.

Top 3 Questions a SaaS Company Should Answer Before an Acquisition Announcement

Announcing the acquisition of another company is an exciting moment for any SaaS brand. You have an opportunity to share the news with the world and celebrate the milestone for both companies. 

A successful announcement requires a well-built-out PR strategy. Your PR firm will have several questions when building out the strategy. Ideally, you’ve told your PR team as early as possible so they have time to ask these questions and get the answers they need. 

There are many questions to consider when announcing the acquisition of another company. But we’ve boiled it down to a few of the key types of questions your PR team should be asking. 

What are the details of the acquisition? 

It all starts with the basics. Who are you acquiring? Where are they located? When will the acquisition be finalized? An important detail to share is whether you will be disclosing the terms of the acquisition. How many employees does the acquired company have? Are they all remaining on board? That’s an important detail to note, especially for local media. 

Additionally, you want to know whether the leadership team of the acquired company is staying on and, if so, what their new titles and roles will be. These are some of the key details needed to build out a press release and prepare for potential interviews with media. 

What’s the “why” of the acquisition?  

You and your PR team will want to figure out the ideal headline for coverage of your acquisition announcement. The best way to determine that is to talk through the “why” with your PR team. What drove the acquisition? Are you expanding into a new market? Adding new product capabilities? Unpacking the “why” should help shape the story your PR team tells through the announcement. 

What are the implications of this acquisition announcement? 

Announcing the acquisition of another company impacts several stakeholders such as prospective employees, customers and potential investors. It’s important to consider the implications for these audiences as you develop your PR strategy.

What does the acquisition mean for your customers and the customers of the acquired company? Is the acquired company’s brand going to be rolled into yours, or will the two companies continue to act independently? How will this acquisition augment your business? Consider the implications for the market. Does this acquisition change the competitive landscape? Are you planning additional acquisitions? These questions can help your PR team understand the goals for the announcement. 

Finalizing the PR Strategy for the Acquisition

As you flesh out the plan with your PR team, other questions will likely come up. You can address several questions by sharing any existing internal communication plans you have. 

Another detail to nail down is who will be the spokesperson for both companies. If the acquired company works with a PR agency, it would be good to get your PR team connected with them. An acquisition announcement has a lot of moving pieces, but by asking the right questions and putting a solid PR strategy in place, a successful announcement is possible. 

Do you have an acquisition on the horizon? Check out our guide to announcing your acquisition of another company to make sure you’re set up for success.  

SaaS Acquisition News: 3 PR Strategies to Consider

Acquisitions are an exciting, yet uncertain, time for any SaaS company. They often involve complex transitions focused on aligning internal and external messaging to tell a cohesive brand story. Used correctly, PR serves as a critical tool for bridging the gap to a successful acquisition announcement, amplifying the news to new investors, stakeholders and customers. 

Given ample time to prepare for the announcement, your PR team can develop an effective PR strategy around your goals. For example, suppose you’re interested in getting in the room with investors. In that case, the team may focus on earning top-tier coverage. Or, if you’d like to reach prospective customers, they may target trade outlets to highlight your growth plans.

Whatever the agreed-upon strategy might be, your PR team will offer recommendations on whether to pitch the news as an exclusive, share under embargo ahead of the announcement, or execute day-of pitching. 

Here’s a closer look at three strategies for announcing an acquisition and the challenges and benefits accompanying them:

Offering an Exclusive

Why pitch the news as an exclusive? You’ve been working for months to finalize the acquisition details, so what’s the upside to offering a single reporter the opportunity to break the story? “Exclusive” is an enticing word for publications — this strategy allows your team to attract interest from a top-tier or national outlet while controlling the messaging.

On the other hand, an exclusive may reduce the likelihood of other top-tier publications covering the announcement and impact the total coverage due to a lack of early access. 

Pitching Under Embargo

While an exclusive targets one media contact, embargo pitching refers to sharing the news with several reporters before the announcement date. Within an embargoed pitch, your PR team should only include enough information to entice reporters to request an interview or additional details and commit to an embargo date — the date when the acquisition announcement will be made public.

While the rule of thumb for embargo pitching is 48-72 hours ahead of the announcement, this timeline can be extended to a week or more depending on the target outlets and if your team offers an exclusive first. 

Embargo pitching can garner more media coverage in the long run, providing reporters with the time needed to conduct interviews and gather outside information to run a story. But you run the risk of a publication breaking the embargo, so it’s important to consider the implications of pursuing this strategy. 

Executing Day-Of Pitching

Regardless of your acquisition announcement’s goals, day-of pitching should be a part of your PR team’s strategy. A day-of pitch is shared at the same time you issue your announcement and should include everything a reporter needs to cover the news. These pitches may result in an interview request, a posting of your announcement press release, or a feature or mention in the publication.

The good thing about day-of pitching is your PR team can control the timing and message around the announcement, but reporters might not cover the news due to time constraints or other editorial obligations. 

Well, it’s finally game time. Your PR team is ready to execute a winning PR strategy around the announcement of your acquisition of another company.

As the team schedules interviews, prepares briefing sheets for your spokespeople, and monitors and shares coverage, make sure to align your internal team with talking points and encourage them to share the news on social media. 

Want to know more about the strategies driving your acquisition announcement? Check out our ebook on how to use PR to control and propel the message surrounding your acquisition of another company.

How Media Coverage Can Help You Get Acquired by Google

It’s no secret that many SaaS brands have ultimate aspirations to be acquired by Google. Luckily for them, over the past two decades Google and Alphabet have spent billions of dollars on purchasing new products and ideas, growing their products, talent and customer base through acquisition.

So, how does a company get acquired by a company like Google? Media coverage can help create the visibility and credibility necessary to get on an investor’s radar. 

Here’s how it happened for our client Velostrata:    

Before PR was a Priority

Before Velostrata began working with our PR agency, the cloud migration startup had a relatively low volume of media coverage. To generate visibility, they relied largely on paid content placements and event sponsorships. While Velostrata was known in the space, companies like 2nd Watch (backed by big brands like Amazon Web Service), dominated the conversation surrounding cloud migration.

Building a Foundation with Media Outreach

BLASTmedia began working with Velostrata to secure media coverage. The goal was to increase awareness and provide third-party validation that they could leverage with stakeholders and potential investors. 

We were able to secure top-tier coverage and briefings with target analyst firms by utilizing Velostrata-owned data and pitching commentary around trending industry topics. This allowed us to build relationships with outlets like TechRepublic, ChannelPartnersOnline and Silicon Angle, resulting in feature stories.

Key pieces of coverage, including CEO profiles and thought-leadership content, helped build the foundation for two key partnership announcements. Velostrata announced a channel partnership with RISC Networks and a cloud partnership with Google Cloud Platform. 

Leveraging Partnership Announcements

Velostrata positioned themselves within the marketplace by leveraging partnerships through announcements. While partnerships provide value on their own, Velostrata got their brand in front of the right people through strong PR support. By using the news of both partnerships to increase visibility, we were able to secure even more pieces of coverage for the company. Articles included a feature in CRN, interviews with DZone, and news of the partnership in CIO Dive.

Aspirations Realized: Acquired by Google

Following the Google Cloud Platform partnership announcement which drove more than 150 sessions on Velostrata.com, Google announced plans to acquire the company. The culmination of quality media coverage, elevation of thought leaders, and targeted briefings with analysts helped position Velostrata for a successful exit and acquisition by one of the world’s largest internet companies.