EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

When Burton & Company, LLC and Flewelling & Mitton, PC, two Denver-area CPA firms, decided to merge to create Tandem CPAs, they knew communication was critical. One of the considerations included how long-term clients of both firms would receive news of the change.

Tandem’s three partners, Rob Burton, Kris Flewelling, and Lynn Mitton agreed that bringing in a marketing communications expert was a smart business decision. By working with Lumen Marketing & Communications, Tandem CPAs effectively communicated information about the merger, eased client concerns, and gained positive feedback.

THE CHALLENGE

Tandem CPAs was created in 2020 through the merger of two firms: Burton & Company, LLC and Flewelling & Mitton, P.C. The two firms were already sharing space in the same office, so when a merger was first discussed, it was all about sharing human talent. The two teams meshed well together, and they knew they could operate even stronger as one cohesive unit. The combined team would ultimately allow Tandem to provide services to individuals and businesses in the areas of tax preparation and planning, trust and estate tax, business advisory, audit and attest, remote CFO and Controller services, and bookkeeping and accounting services.

However, while the merger had many benefits for the two firms, the challenge from a communications perspective was to get clients to see those benefits too. Some clients had been with the same CPA and tax attorney for over 20 years; c new faces and a name change could be an unwelcome shift for some.

This was especially true because a large group of clients had been acquired from another CPA firm the previous year. That meant that some clients would be going through another transition similar to what had just happened one year prior. Tandem wanted to minimize the disruption to existing clients as much as possible.

Rather than attempting a do-it-yourself approach to business communications, Tandem focused on what it does best — providing financial and tax services to their clients, as well as the operational shifts of the merger.

“We thought this merger was going to be a little more complicated. And we thought it would be smart to get help from a marketing expert. As specialists ourselves, we know the benefit of staying in your lane — the outcome is much better when you hire a real pro,” said Burton.

Overall, the challenge was to let clients know that they were still going to receive the same excellent service from the same people, but with even more resources than before.

FORGING A SOLID STRATEGY

Working together, Tandem CPAs and Lumen Marketing identified key pain points and questions their clients would likely ask about the merger, as well what marketing tactics and channels should be used for communications. After that, Lumen took the wheel and drove the process forward, beginning with a formalized plan and content calendar.

“Lumen Marketing kept us on task and on schedule. There were times when we were really busy with client work and merger work. If we had not had someone driving us to stay on task, we might have let some things slip,” said Burton.

The Lumen team took the lead in writing the merger announcement and email communications, as well as crafting social media content. Additionally, Lumen helped to bring together content from each of the firms’ old websites into one new website, which included brand updates, new pages, and updates to existing content.

While the Tandem team had a hand in the details of every client-facing communication, they were really able to focus on the merger itself and continue serving clients while Lumen Marketing worked quietly in the background ensuring all deadlines were met.

“It definitely would have been more work for us to take on the marketing pieces ourselves — and it wouldn’t have been as polished or professional. Marketing isn’t my field. I’m not a marketing person. That’s exactly why we got Lumen Marketing to help,” said Mitton.

FORTIFYING CONFIDENCE

Because a large number of clients had just been acquired the previous year, as well as the shifting business landscape during COVID-19, there was a lot concern that existing clients would be very wary of change. Being upfront, open, and honest about the transition was a big priority throughout the merger.

“We’ve received great feedback from our clients on the whole about the way we rolled everything out. Communication was very transparent and clear, and questions from clients were proactively answered,” said Flewelling.

A SMOOTH OUTCOME

Tandem CPAs and Lumen Marketing started getting the word out to clients about the merger in late October 2020, and by the time the merger was finalized on January 1, 2021 clients had received several timely communications — from merger announcement, to information about new names and faces, to FAQs, and a new website. Each communication focused on reinforcing the new brand and building client confidence.

“Involving Lumen Marketing mitigated a lot of confusion, fear, and uncertainty on behalf of our clients. Clients had already started sending emails to our Tandem CPAs accounts in December before the merger was even finished — they were already that comfortable with it,” said Burton.

Burton also noted the positive reaction from clients by stating, “We haven’t had a single client question asking, ‘Who are Tandem CPAs?’ or ‘Why am I getting this email from this new address?’”

Engaging Lumen Marketing for help with their communications needs was a wise investment for Tandem CPAs.

“I would highly recommend Lumen Marketing & Communications. They know the right questions to ask, and they kept us on task. They were very professional and made everything we were doing look professional — well, well done,” said Flewelling.

ABOUT LUMEN MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Lumen Marketing & Communications specializes in inbound and account-based marketing, WordPress websites, branding, and creative for B2B and B2C businesses. Our strategy-first marketing programs help clients generate demand, attract better leads, engage more effectively, and increase qualified sales opportunities that lead to measurable revenue.

Whether you need to augment your existing team on a single project, or a completely turnkey, outsourced marketing solution, Lumen Marketing can help. Our Denver-based team serves clients in a diverse set of industries, including: startups, high-growth companies, technology, software (SaaS), resorts and attractions, banking, finance, real estate, professional services, HR and talent management, and more.