Businesses focused on expansion might consider mergers and acquisitions as a way to help facilitate growth.
With a conglomerate merger, specifically, companies join forces with businesses in separate lines of business, giving them immediate access to a new customer base, geographic market, expertise, and offerings.
What is a conglomerate merger?
A conglomerate merger is a type of business deal where two companies from different industries or geographies combine operations and become one entity.
The companies involved in a conglomerate merger are not competitors that operate in the same line of business; rather, they join together to take advantage of operational synergies and diversify their offerings.
An example of a conglomerate merger might be if an entertainment production company and a software business merge into one business, as they come from two different sectors and don’t have any overlap in their current operations.
Conglomerate merger vs. horizontal integration vs. vertical integration
With any type of merger, the two companies decide to join forces because they believe they will be better positioned when joined together than when operating separately.
That being said, conglomerate mergers are just one type, which are distinctly different from vertical or horizontal mergers.
In comparison, horizontal integration involves two companies that operate in the same industry and typically have the same offerings.
On the other hand, vertical integration happens when two companies from the same industry, but at different stages of the supply chain, merge together.
Types of conglomerate mergers
Under the umbrella of conglomerate mergers, there are two different types that companies might participate in:
- Pure conglomerate mergers occur between two companies that have no shared business activities. They operate in two completely unrelated lines of business. When Berkshire Hathaway, an investment company, acquired GEICO, an insurer, this was an example of a pure conglomerate merger.
- Mixed conglomerate mergers involve companies that have some degree of overlap in their offerings or markets. A real-world example of this is when Amazon acquired Whole Foods, as both businesses were involved in retail.
Benefits of conglomerate mergers
There are a few main reasons why two companies might be interested in a conglomerate merger. Here are some of the key benefits that these arrangements can offer:
Diversification of the business portfolio
When two companies join together that have completely different business dealings, it can help to diversify the revenue streams of the overall business.
Among other benefits, a diversified business is better equipped to navigate downturns or periods of economic uncertainty.
If customer demand or economic conditions contract for one of the business segments, the unrelated segment may experience a period of normal demand or business growth, helping to offset potential losses.
Access to new markets and customer bases
A conglomerate merger also helps businesses gain access to new geographic markets and customer bases, potentially expanding market share and revenue potential.
Given the fact that this type of merger occurs between two unrelated companies, both entities get the chance to cross-sell offerings to each other’s customer base, which may result in revenue growth.
Increased financial stability
Aside from the potential upside to grow and diversify revenues, a conglomerate merger also provides financial stability in other ways. This includes operational synergies, efficiency improvements, and possible cost-cutting.
As the two businesses combine and share certain costs, they enjoy economies of scale and, overall, may gain greater bargaining power as a larger business.
Challenges and risks of conglomerate mergers
Despite the key benefits of conglomerate mergers, joining two companies into one doesn’t occur without encountering some roadblocks and growing pains. Here are some of the potential challenges to keep in mind:
Cultural integration issues
The two companies involved in the merger may have distinct company cultures. As the teams integrate, trying to fuse the two cultures together can be difficult if both are used to doing things a certain way.
This is especially true for a conglomerate merger, where the two companies are involved in completely different markets and business models, meaning the teams already have distinctly different priorities. Creating one shared mission or vision for the new conglomerate takes time and adequate change management.
Potential for reduced focus on core businesses
Though diversification can offer certain advantages when it comes to financial stability and expanded revenue opportunities, it can also take away focus from the core business activities.
With the company expanding into new markets and offerings, inefficiencies may arise as the two teams dedicate efforts to integrating systems and processes, with less resources available to focus on core operations.
Regulatory hurdles and antitrust concerns
It’s also a possibility that a conglomerate merger will create antitrust concerns among regulators. This may delay or even prevent the merger from completing.
The companies involved in the transaction may face regulatory hurdles as they attempt to complete the transaction, coming up against concerns of anticompetitive effects or reduced competition in the marketplace.
Best practices for successful conglomerate mergers
Companies interested in a conglomerate merger should consider the following tips and best practices for a successful transaction and integration:
Conducting thorough due diligence
A merger should come only after the company has had the chance to thoroughly evaluate the financial, legal, and operational health of the target business.
After a successful merger, the two businesses are no longer separate entities, and will acquire any and all of the other business’s dealings. Businesses should feel confident about joining forces with the other company, and voice any concerns before inking the deal.
Effective communication strategies
When combining two separate businesses, effective communication is crucial at every stage of the transaction and integration process. This helps keep expectations clear and give stakeholders the opportunity to offer feedback.
It’s important to keep open channels with the employees, customers, and key stakeholders of both businesses. For external stakeholders, this might include discussing what will change from a customer-facing standpoint, like price increases, new locations, etc.
For internal stakeholders, it might be important to discuss the team integration timeline and updates to the organizational structure, compensation, benefits, and more.
Post-merger integration planning
Business leaders should be proactive and make integration plans before the merger is complete.
These discussions should start during the due diligence phase, having the two companies assess how compatible their teams are, what the shared mission and values are, and how the structure might need to change for the unified business.
Is merging right for your business?
Not everyone is a proponent of conglomerate mergers, and it may not be the right strategy for all businesses.
Deciding to merge with another company should only come after much reflection about the potential growth opportunities and synergies, as well as the possible risks and hurdles.
A merger might make sense if a company:
- Wants to expand into new markets and diversity its offerings
- Will be able to reduce administrative costs
- Can create a stronger, more competitive business when combined another company
- Will gain access to more resources, including people, financial, and intellectual
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Frequently asked questions
What is a conglomerate merger?
A conglomerate merger is when two companies that have completely unrelated business activities join to create one single entity.
How is a conglomerate merger different from a vertical or horizontal integration?
The key difference between a conglomerate merger and other types of mergers is that the two companies involved in the transaction have no overlap in their current offerings or geographies. In contrast, both vertical and horizontal mergers involve companies that are in the same industry.
What is a conglomerate merger example?
Some of the famous examples of conglomerate mergers include when Berkshire Hathaway acquired GEICO, when Amazon acquired Whole Foods, and when eBay acquired PayPal.
