Mergers & Acquisitions
Garnering media for a major acquisition
Client sought measurable, effective media coverage for a $400 million acquisition that greatly increased the company’s size and significantly expanded its position abroad. The media strategy implemented by Sharon Merrill generated national coverage and attracted favorable attention from investors.
Client Challenge
Effectively convey the financial rationale for the transaction to investors through targeted financial media.
After completing a number of small acquisitions to build its position within established verticals, the company sought to substantially grow its business in a new industry segment. The acquisition target: an international company with the majority of its operations outside the U.S. Because it represented the largest acquisition in the company’s history and included the assumption of significant debt, it was critical that the rationale for the transaction was communicated clearly to the business media, a key conduit to the investment community.
Sharon Merrill Approach
Aggressive outreach to major financial and business media outlets
In conjunction with the acquisition announcement, Sharon Merrill planned and implemented a focused media strategy. The goal of the media strategy was to generate clear, concise and accurate stories that explained the business rationale for the transaction to investors through the online, broadcast and print media. We identified five key value drivers of the acquisition, incorporated those messages prominently in the news release and other press materials and communicated them to reporters in follow-up conversations. Sharon Merrill sought not only to secure media coverage of the acquisition, but more importantly to ensure that as many key messages as possible were articulated in these stories.
Results
Positive media coverage helped to drive favorable results
Sharon Merrill’s communications strategy generated positive media coverage of the acquisition across the financial and business press. First-day stories appeared in outlets including the Associated Press, Dow Jones and Reuters, and the favorable reaction to the news on Wall Street helped to fuel additional coverage over the course of several weeks and months while the transaction was completed. With the help of Sharon Merrill’s messaging efforts and subsequent media coverage, the stock rose 11% on the first day and climbed more than 19% within the first month of the acquisition.
Sharon Merrill can help you attract favorable attention from investors and communicate the merits of your transaction to all stakeholders. Call 617-542-5300 or email us at info@InvestorRelations.com.