On March 12 2025, ICR Healthcare’s client Zealand Pharma announced the biggest ever obesity deal with Roche. With a total consideration of up to $5.3 billion, this was a story the media couldn’t ignore.
Here are five things we learned managing this high impact deal:
Preparation, preparation, preparation
Planning is essential
The successful communication of any announcement relies not only on the news itself, but the preparation. Timing is everything for communicating news optimally, and having everything planned with military precision gives you the best possible advantage. Knowing which journalist you are going to contact, when and with which angle will maximise your advantage. At the same time, flexibility and a willingness to respond to the unexpected is critical. Plans change, and we need to be able to adapt to the situation as it is, not just as we want it. We need plans B and C.
Anticipate the key questions and agree clear messaging as early as possible
Knowing and agreeing your core messages and anticipating the answers to the difficult questions as early as possible helps ahead of negotiating the announcement through the inevitable multiple rounds of edits. If you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what might be the common pushback from core audiences on the deal, you can shape the communications materials to meet that and know what you can’t let go of.
Transparent and close collaboration with the other side
A close collaboration with the other side is not only going to help with announcement day but in setting the tone for the future relationship. While bankers and lawers may melt away after announcement day, the relationship with the other side will endure so having a close collaboration from the get go is imperative.
On the ground support can be a vital tool
In a virtual and remote world, nothing beats the effectiveness of having feet on the ground where the action is taking place. Get your comms teams in the same room, this will help support the collaborative effort and decisions can be made quickly as needed. It also makes organising and moving individuals to where they need to be for briefings and interviews much easier. No more wondering where the CEO is whilst waiting for him to join an interview.
Prepare your media studio ahead of time
Nothing is worse than looking for a quiet place to conduct an interview last minute. As you anticipate an influx of briefing requests from media, find a location that: can be reserved for the day; prepared ahead of time so the setting is appropriate for video, in-person or broadcast interviews (fully branded of course!); makes the interviewee feel comfortable and; where the technology can be tested beforehand to avoid any mishaps.
Internal comms is as important as external
Your team is one of your most important stakeholder groups and if you don’t bring them with you, external audiences will be even tougher. They need to understand the significance of the announcement, feel a part of the significant milestone and are recognised for their contribution. In the flurry and excitement of the announcement going out externally, giving time to engage with employees and other partners is critical.
The news doesn’t stop at the end of the announcement day!
After a busy news day, the work doesn’t stop. Inquiries and coverage will continue to trickle in but more importantly, now that your company profile has expanded overnight, this is the moment to build on this momentum. Journalists often talk about the “day two story”: for them, it’s an opportunity to provide analysis of a transaction or development. For you and your team, this is an opportunity. Leverage the news to go deeper into the science in feature pieces, podcasts, thematic pieces and more.
Get in touch with us to discuss how ICR Healthcare can help support your next company announcement.
