Integrating a family of creative companies
Designed and supported the integration of standalone companies within a key region for a global media player, unlocking significant upside in both cost and revenue.
Spanning organisation design and complex change management, our work brought a highly autonomous set of creative organisations together, preserving their individual spirit while releasing powerful synergies, and building profitable links between the region and head office.
Context
Our client, the Chief Executive of a global media company built largely through acquisition and operating as a family of labels, had struggled to release economies of scale in one of his biggest regions. A long-time success, the region was now facing a difficult future, as a changing market challenged their pipeline. The region operated very independently, and had proved rather resistant to change.
The CEO tasked our senior team with finding ways to break the deadlock, and generate synergies across the region’s labels and with the global business as a whole.
Approach
Our senior consultants first worked delicately on a pre-diagnostic phase of work that built the case for change within the region. This led to a more detailed diagnostic which established significant opportunities for sharing within the region, within core content production itself, as well as across back office functions.
Over time, with a team that flexed up and down to fit with the local leadership’s desired pace, and gradually gained the strong support of local leadership, we designed the merged structure and implementation plans, building significant bridges with head office along the way.
Impact
The client implemented the integration with light touch support from us throughout, to help them stay on track while delivering the change from within.
The integration not only delivered critical efficiencies, it bore fruit creatively, with greater capacity to devote senior time to innovation.
A strong and more open relationship with head office has endured, unlocking significant creative and financial potential across the global business.