We’ve tied the knot

The Challenge

“11 Marinas. 4,000 berths. 150 staff. You and your boat cared for.” It was essential, to be able to sensitively manage the communication flow with the pace of the deal. Senior leaders and the marina managers had to be confident explaining the reasons for the merger, understand their roles in communicating the news and be comfortable briefing berth holders and visitors.     

The Solution

After a fact-finding workshop with the Managing Directors, we created a communications toolbox. Core to this was the “plan on a page” – a staff briefing note that explained the reasons and ambitions behind the merger. This included facts about the new group, explained the merger process with known timescales and who to contact for more information. A set of berth holder and visitor communications supported the “plan on a page” as well as comprehensive FAQs to support staff.

By agreeing in advance communications material and creating unified collateral, when the deal exchanged communications could be shared quickly and confidently with staff and customers. We created digital assets that all the marinas could add to their social media channels and drafted content for both websites.

The exchange news release was distributed to key media for each of the marinas, the marine press and a tailored version created for the business press resulting in positive coverage. The marina teams were encouraged to share feedback over the summer. Southampton Boat Show was the perfect platform to announce the completion of the deal and celebrate the creation of a new nationwide cruising pass.

The Results

Acting as a critical friend, ADPR was able to help shape the strategy, identify any potential staff or customer concerns and put clear communications in place for multiple audiences. The feedback has been positive with journalists commenting on how exciting the merger is for the marine industry.