Agency M&A can make kings. Or lose kingdoms. It can result in the creation of incremental value. Or eat up huge amounts of management time and fail to achieve stated goals. The pundits say that only one in four mergers is successful. I know how to beat these odds through finely tuned objectives, smart review systems, the right sale or purchase, and good, old-fashioned hard work.
There are five key reasons to consider M&A:
- The addition of a new revenue stream or revised business model.
- Growth through the rapid addition of new capabilities like digital, mobile and social media skill-sets.
- Growth through the acquisition of a desirable client list. The agency that bought my agency Citrus instantly gained new B-to-C and B-to-B clients in the sports marketing, gaming, retail, technology and energy sectors.
- Growth through geographic expansion.
- Acquisition as exit strategy. Occasionally, it makes more sense for an owner to sell to another agency than to try to manage an internal sale.
Designing the right deal can deliver on any or all of these benefits. I’ve managed agency M&A and view agency acquisition as one of the smartest and fastest ways to grow and add critical agency services. That said, there are financial and cultural pitfalls that must be considered and managed.
I can help you review your objectives, plan the strategic acquisition, merger or sale, and manage the transition.
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