Hostile M&A: Getting support via the web (Part 2)

Kraft's microsite for their potential acquisition of Cadbury

Kraft Foods is not getting much positive publicity from their acquisition overtures to Cadbury. More than anything, they need to rally shareholder support but their antiseptic approach to marketing their position is not helping their effort.

This is exemplified in their “microsite” for the potential Kraft-Cadbury deal — a brief, dry affair that is more factual in nature than an exercise in swaying shareholder (and public) opinion. These two screen grabs (below) of the microsite’s main pages showcase their approach. The pages simply include the press release for the deal proposal and a compilation of their standard corporate fact sheets. Granted that a web site probably will not make or break the acceptance of this deal but if you were a shareholder, would this approach make you more positively inclined toward the Cadbury deal? That should be the aim of any M&A deal microsite.

Presentation tip: Avoid “shouting” in color

From McDonald's 2009 Investor Meeting - November 12, 2009

You know how “all caps” (all capital letters) in email is considered “shouting,” not to mention poor email etiquette? A heavy hand with primary colors in Powerpoint, slide after slide, has a similar grating effect. McDonald’s has a nice, tight presentation for their 2009 Investor Conference, but their loud scheme of big blocks of primary colors on a solid black background is hard on the eyes and distracting to the content of the presentation.

Factoring recessions into business planning

From The Coca-Cola Company's "2020" Investor Presentation on November 16, 2009

Recessions, unfortunately, are a part of business life. Smart companies (especially smart, cyclical companies) plan for the possibility of a downturn, especially during a prolonged period of positive economic conditions. And after the recessionary storm blows through, they quickly begin the implementation of post-recessionary “clean up.”