Global medical communications agency, Bioscript Group, works with clients in the UK, US, and Europe.

Its team supports the entire pharmaceutical product lifecycle, offering regulatory support, market access and strategic communications, from pre-approval to commercialisation.

Growing with intention and guidance

An ambitious agency like Bioscript Group naturally has a growth strategy to match.

The organisation’s five-year plan laid out its intentions to join with other companies to build its skills and support clients on a broader spectrum of projects, from early clinical development to international market access.

Having embarked on a journey to enhance and strengthen the medical communications services it offers to clients, Bioscript Group approached Enthuse for expert guidance in putting together a strategic narrative for its latest acquisition.

Considered change

Acquiring another medical communications agency was great news for the business, as Bioscript Group has a sharp focus on selecting organisations with aligned values, mission and culture.

However, any kind of change can spark anxiety and raise questions for employees: what does this mean for me? What will change if our agency is much bigger? How does it work if there’s someone in the new company doing the same role as me?

So, Bioscript Group was conscious of communicating and supporting existing colleagues through the transition and new colleagues moving into the business with sensitivity and purpose.

The project took into account a host of challenging factors:

More than 200 globally diverse employees
Merging of cultures
A multitude of stakeholders
Two managing directors making new divisions
A change in locations due to Covid restrictions and guidelines.

Therefore, Enthuse was the partner it needed to provide the consistent, considered and flexible support to inspire a positive narrative for this change.

The what, why and how of change

Enthuse had a clear purpose to create a strategic narrative around the acquisition: the what, why and how of the change.

To streamline and systemise the process of handling sensitive information and a number of stakeholders, we initially conducted audience and stakeholder mapping in partnership with the internal team at Bioscript Group.

Who needed to know what and when?

We also did a “standing in their shoes” exercise, as well as leading a communications workshop with internal teams.

Then, we were able to write the acquisition narrative and submit it through the group’s approval process in a way that supported internal timelines and addressed every anticipated employee concern.

We created a very clear and succinct ‘what, why, how’ document to bring employees into management’s vision for the acquisition and the future of the business.

We also designed a Frequently Asked Questions section to pre-empt all of those questions and respond to them sensitively, congruently and thoroughly.

Both of these documents were visually appealing and addressed employees in their language, establishing a friendly tone that was easy to read and understand rather than off-putting corporate-speak.

Literature also signposted additional support and ideas to leave employees with a roadmap to remain involved, heard and supported.

Part of our work on this project also included the creation of an official announcement communication for the acquisition, as well as the strategy behind who would communicate to whom at which point in the timeline.

As with any acquisition, things changed along the way, so we provided the flexible and adaptive support the leadership team needed.

A smooth path to scientific progress

Bioscript Group moved through the acquisition process smoothly thanks to the specialist support, tangible assets and change management advice provided by the Enthuse team.

In addition to the research and strategy work completed in partnership with Bioscript Group’s internal teams, we also created and collated all of the necessary content and considered the optics for delivery.

Deliverables included:

Announcement emails
Line manager emails
Employee toolkit
FAQs for internal employees at the parent company and the acquired company
Aide-memoires for leadership teams to refer back to
Announcement slides
Leadership team slides
Line manager guidance
Presentation slides for an all-company meeting
Structure of the presentation
Guidance on how to select speakers and deliver the presentation

As change management specialists, we also offered guidance on further ways the leadership team could achieve a smoother transition. One suggestion was to create and circulate team member bios to help employees familiarise themselves and connect more easily with new colleagues.

Now, the group is in a strong position to widen its client pool and scale the specialist expertise it offers in supporting the advancement of patient care.

Making a difference

The Enthuse difference materialised in four ways during this project.

Empathy

Standing in employees’ shoes and taking a considered approach to different cultures and ways of working were key to the success of this acquisition process.

We drilled into concerns and questions, encouraging internal teams to think hard about how the change might land with different departments, individuals, roles and personality types.

Spending the time considering these questions made sure the narrative was on-point and the message was met with positivity.

Cohesive planning

It was critical in this particular project that the message reached everyone at the same time, so each individual felt valued and well-informed.

Therefore, we worked hard to perfect the channel plan so everyone had the opportunity to receive the news together.

A united front

If leaders convey enthusiasm for change, employees are infinitely more likely to come on the change journey.

So, we invested a lot of time into preparing Bioscript Group’s leaders to offer the support needed at every juncture. When the announcement did come, leaders knew what to say, how to say it and even the kind of body language and eye contact to exhibit.

A united leadership front sounds like an obvious part of change, but achieving it can come down to those granular details that build a bigger picture.

Responsive support

Every acquisition involves a lot of moving objects. So, we understand things change along the way. We’re experienced in this process and have the expert knowledge to guide organisations like Bioscript Group through each stage.

Having this responsive support to deal with each challenge as it arises is a fundamental part of leading and communicating meaningful change.

Get support with your next acquisition

Acquisitions can be great for business, yet challenging for employee engagement. If you’re considering an acquisition and unsure how to navigate the process internally to create a positive narrative and harmonious organisation, we’re here to help.

Speak to the Enthuse team by calling 07812 343310 or emailing hello@enthuse-comms.co.uk

The Science of Successful Acquisition