Many are convinced that the buyer with the most money always wins the deal. Although many acquisitions by financial acquirers and strategic buyers are driven by the desire to grow revenue and the company’s bottom line, it is possible to win an acquisition without offering the most amount of money.
A successful acquisition is about finding the right equation for the seller, which includes, of course, financial compensation, as well as many other non-financial aspects including prestige, value, excitement, or strategic fit.
It can be difficult to visualize this concept, so let’s take a look at a recent example from the news. Amazon announced it would acquire Souq.com a Dubai-based internet retailer. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Amazon reportedly paid between $650-750 million, beating out a competing offer for $800 million from Emaar Mall. So why would Souq sell to Amazon for a lower price?
From Amazon’s perspective, this deal makes a lot of sense because it will allow Amazon to enter into the Middle East while circumventing regulatory hurdles, the headache of building new infrastructure, and the cost of raising brand awareness. Souq.com is already a very popular in the Middle East where e-commerce is expanding among a growing young, tech-savvy population. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the top markets for mobile penetration. In addition, Middle Easterners are willing to pay a 50-100% premium for Western products and brands from the US. The Souq acquisition will help with top-line and bottom-line growth.
So what’s in in for Souq? Why agree to a deal for less money? The answer is Amazon’s experience and reputation. As one of the top global companies, Amazon has a large network, resources, and deep experience with e-commerce. Souq can leverage Amazon’s experience to continue growing.
It is also exciting to be acquired by a well-recognized brand and be a part of Amazon’s team. While we can’t know what the founder of Souq, Ronaldo Mouchawar, was thinking, we can safely assume emotion had some factor in the decision-making. Don’t completely forget about the human factor and emotions when it comes to M&A, especially when dealing with owners and privately-held businesses. In fact, understanding the owners motivations – excitement, family-members in the business, community pride, desire to leave a lasting legacy, risk aversion, or financial – is key to developing the right equation to persuade him or her to sell.
