Mergers

Merger Campaign Management for Large Health Care Provider

A large health care company faced a precarious regulatory and public opinion environment when it announced plans to merge with another health care provider. To successfully complete the merger, the company needed approval from the federal government, several states and shareholders. Complicating the merger, the company also faced significant opposition from groups representing consumers and doctors.

Public Strategies helped the company work toward merger approvals by implementing a coordinated communications strategy that included public opinion research, state-specific campaigns and a centralized communications hub focused on proactive outreach and rapid response.

We established and managed a War Room at the client’s headquarters, which served as the central coordinating hub for the campaign and related activities. Starting with public opinion polling, we gauged attitudes toward the company, its proposed merger and the industry as a whole. This allowed our team to develop effective messages to reach key stakeholders, as well as identify and prepare for potential opposition messages.

The considerable public effort to educate key stakeholders on merger benefits, as well as behind-the-scenes activities and negotiations by company executives, helped create a positive environment for the merger, which was approved successfully by the federal government, 10 states and shareholders.