The Intake: Navigating Product Marketing Through the M&A Storm
A 30/60/90 playbook for healthcare PMMs when your organization is acquiring—or being acquired
With medical costs projected to rise 7-8% this year (the highest increase in over 13 years) organizations are doubling down on consolidation strategies. While this isn’t a new trend, we're seeing a new wave of strategic, technology-driven mergers that prioritize long-term value over quick wins. Major players like UnitedHealth Group, Aetna-CVS, and Humana are leading a "new era of payer-led ecosystem consolidation", while 88% of hospitals are actively pursuing vendor consolidation to streamline operations and cut costs.
For product marketers in healthcare, this isn't just market noise it's the new reality. Whether your organization is the acquirer or the acquired, the pressure to move fast while maintaining strategic clarity has never been higher.
The M&A Reality Check: When Speed Meets Strategy
Here's what no one tells you about M&A as a product marketer: you rarely know until the deal closes. One day you're executing your next thought leadership initiative, the next you're on a conference call learning that your company just acquired a company, or worse, that you've been acquired and your product portfolio is about to be "rationalized."
The challenge isn't just the surprise—it's the immediate pressure to have answers when you don't even know the right questions yet. Suddenly, you're expected to:
Assess competitive overlaps across product lines
Align messaging for confused customers and prospects
Integrate go-to-market strategies that were built for different markets
Manage teams that may be duplicative or conflicting
Navigate cultural differences while maintaining momentum
Research shows “the failure rate of mergers and acquisitions is somewhere between 70% and 90%.” The difference often comes down to how well the organization manages the integration process and product marketing often sits squarely at the center of that challenge.
Product marketers play a central role in M&A integration by driving clarity, alignment, and execution in close partnership with product, sales, marketing, customer success, analytics, and executive teams. This collaborative approach ensures both the business and its customers transition smoothly and successfully through change.
The PMM M&A Playbook: A 30/60/90 Framework
When consolidation hits, having a structured approach can mean the difference between thriving and surviving. Here's the framework I've developed based on real-world experience:
First 30 Days: Assessment & Alignment
Week 1-2: Rapid Discovery
Work with Product to conduct product portfolio mapping across entities
Identify immediate customer communication needs
Assess competitive positioning overlaps and gaps
Document existing go-to-market processes and tools
Establish stakeholder communication rhythms
Week 3-4: Quick Wins & Triage
Create unified customer FAQ addressing the merger
Develop interim competitive battle cards
Align sales teams on immediate messaging and customer outreach
Identify and address urgent customer concerns
Work with leaders to help set up cross-functional integration teams
Key Milestone: By day 30, you should have a clear picture of the landscape and immediate action items prioritized by impact and urgency.
Next 30 Days (31-60): Integration & Strategy
Week 5-6: Strategic Planning
Work with Product to develop integrated product roadmap and positioning
Create unified buyer personas across combined customer base
Design new go-to-market strategy for priority segments
Plan technology integration for marketing systems
Establish shared KPIs and reporting frameworks
Week 7-8: Execution Preparation
Build integrated marketing campaign plans
Develop training materials for combined sales teams
Create customer transition and retention programs
Establish new competitive intelligence processes
Design change management communication plan
Key Milestone: By day 60, you should have a comprehensive integration strategy with clear timelines and ownership for implementation.
Final 30 Days (61-90): Launch & Optimize
Week 9-10: Market Launch
Execute integrated go-to-market campaigns
Launch unified customer experience messaging
Launch new sales tool kit and
Begin customer transition and migration programs
Establish regular performance monitoring
Week 11-12: Optimization & Scaling
Analyze early performance metrics and adjust strategy
Collect customer and internal feedback
Refine processes based on initial learnings
Plan for long-term integration initiatives
Establish ongoing governance and communication rhythms
Key Milestone: By day 90, you should have a functioning integrated marketing organization with clear processes, unified strategy, and measurable early results.
Personal Reflection: Two Acquisitions, Countless Lessons
Over the past 12 months at Reveleer, I've been part of two significant acquisitions that transformed our organization and expanded our portfolio. Each deal brought unique challenges that tested every product marketing framework in my tool box.
The first acquisition came quickly and introduced and new market segment that required a lot of groundwork. Customers were asking questions we didn't have answers to, our sales team was confused about positioning along side our current solutions, and our product roadmap suddenly had massive gaps and overlaps. The biggest lesson? Dive in. Start documenting everything immediately, even if you think you don't have time. Those early decisions and assumptions become critical as you move through integration.
The second acquisition was equally challenging. This time, we were acquiring a company with a very complementary customer base and go-to-market approach but the integration timing was not in our favor from a market seasonality perspective. What I learned was that success isn't just about combining products—it's about creating a unified vision that both teams can rally behind, even when they're still figuring out how to work together.
Both experiences reinforced that the reality of M&A is messy, fast-moving, and unpredictable. But they also showed me that with the right mindset, product marketing can be the function that creates clarity from chaos and builds momentum when everything feels uncertain.
The work is still ongoing. We haven't completely integrated all systems, aligned all processes, or resolved all cultural differences. But we have built a stronger, more capable organization that's better positioned to serve our customers and compete in an increasingly consolidated market.
🔥 Hot Tip: Build Your M&A Readiness Kit
Don't wait for a deal to start preparing. Create a "readiness kit" that includes: competitor analysis templates, customer communication frameworks, product portfolio mapping tools, and stakeholder alignment processes. When consolidation hits your organization, you'll be ready to lead rather than react.
The healthcare market will continue consolidating, and as product marketers, we need to be ready to guide our organizations through these transformative moments. The key is moving from assessment to action quickly, while never losing sight of the customers and market dynamics that drive long-term success.
What's your M&A story? How have you navigated consolidation in your organization? I'd love to hear your lessons learned.
AI assistance was used in writing this article, but all ideas and experiences shared are my own.