Growth through acquisition isn’t new. But with consolidation on the rise and digital channels amplifying every move, more companies must navigate brand transitions under intense pressure. Without a clear strategy, rebranding can create confusion, dilute brand equity and risk the value of the deal.
That’s why we created this three-part blog series on brand strategy after an acquisition. We’re here to help brands navigate the process with clarity and confidence, whether it’s repositioning, dissolving a brand completely or a hybrid approach. In Part 1 of our series, we’ll tackle brand architecture strategy: the structural decisions that set the tone for every step that follows.
We’ll walk through the foundational considerations for brand architecture, explore common models and outline strategic recommendations to guide a smooth transition. In the next installments, we’ll cover rollout planning and aligning creative execution with business strategy. Let’s dive in.
Expand with a Plan: How to Build a Brand Acquisition Strategy
Completing a merger or acquisition doesn’t end at signing the paperwork. To fully integrate teams, product offerings and messaging, you need to develop a comprehensive brand acquisition strategy.
The strategy you follow will largely be based on the master brand’s existing brand architecture strategy. Product architecture is an internal-facing structure that designates the hierarchy and interrelationships between your products and services. Brand architecture establishes consistency in the language you use. Following an acquisition, the master (acquiring) brand’s brand architecture strategy will determine how the acquired brand’s offerings will fold into the acquiring brand.
A successful rebrand after acquisition is challenging for any business because it requires significant time, money and resources. And there’s little room for error when your company’s reputation is on the line. Here are a few considerations to ensure your brand maximizes impact post-acquisition.
Understanding your Product Architecture Strategy
There are three core product architecture models an organization can follow:
- Branded House: The master brand ties a portfolio of un-branded solutions together.
- House of Brand: The master brand shares equity with its sub-brands, which are treated as distinct.
- Hybrid: The master brand ties most of the un-branded solution portfolio together while some sub-brands are treated as distinct brands.
The product architecture model your organization follows will guide how you brand, position and market any acquired and/or merged brands.
Option 1: Branded house — a complete dissolution of the acquired company
If your organization operates under a branded house model, the acquired brand’s identity is absorbed completely. This may require you to:
- Dissolve names of the acquired brand and any associated distinct sub-brands.
- Align the acquired brand’s visual identity, including logo and colors, with that of the master brand.
- Sunset the acquired brand’s existing website and updating the master brand’s website to encapsulate evolved value as a combined entity.
- Fold the acquired organization’s offerings into the master brand’s portfolio, ensuring any redundancies are accounted for.
- Revisit the master brand’s messaging to highlight areas of new or added value following the acquisition/merger.
Option 2: House of brands — repositioning the acquired company
In a house of brands model, you’ll retain the acquired company’s brand and treat it as a distinct sub-brand. This may require you to:
- Align names of the acquired brand and any associated distinct sub-brands with the master brand’s guidelines. While the acquired brand will remain distinct, it should meld seamlessly with the master brand’s established naming conventions.
- Match the acquired brand’s distinct visual identity, including logo and colors, with the master brand’s guidelines. While the acquired brand will remain distinct, its visual identity should align with and complement the master brand’s visual guidelines.
- Update the master and acquired company’s websites to highlight the new connection between the brands, highlighting areas of added value post-merger/acquisition.
- Fold the acquired organization’s offerings into the master brand’s product architecture, aligning on relationships and hierarchies among existing distinct sub-brands.
Option 3: Hybrid approach — somewhere in between
A hybrid model allows for selective retention of brand elements. Some products may remain branded, while others are absorbed into the master brand. What does that look like?
- Assess brand equity associated with the acquired brand and any associated distinct sub-brands. Those with high-levels of existing equity may be retained as distinct sub-brands of the master brand, while the rest are dissolved.
- Align any/all new, distinct sub-brands with the master brand’s established naming conventions and visual guidelines to ensure consistency.
- Update the master brand’s website to ensure all acquired offerings are included and pages are created for new, distinct sub-brands.
- Determine how the new, distinct sub-brands will be positioned and promoted compared to new, non-branded offerings.
Necessary Steps Regardless of your Path
No matter which path you take, you should always consider the following questions as part of your brand architecture strategy:
- Re-aligning strategy: Does the acquired brand’s mission and vision align with the master brand’s? Are there any repetitive messages or services that need to be consolidated? If yes, you need to regroup on your combined brand strategy.
- Blending voice and tone: How does the acquired brand’s existing content meld with the master brand? If it doesn’t, you likely need to rework their existing materials.
- Auditing existing creative materials: What internal and external assets does the acquired brand currently have? You’ll need to audit all materials, which may include:
- Tangible marketing assets from billboards to business cards
- Internal facing documents such as sales decks or training materials
- Digital assets such as social channels, website or digital ad placements
- Developing a rebranding rollout strategy: How would you like to communicate the recent merger/acquisition to internal and external audiences? This is especially important if renaming or major visual changes occur. Some things to consider:
- Be transparent about why this change occurred
- Explain how this affects the overall mission and vision of the company
- Empower your staff to become ambassadors for the new brand. Internal swag like stickers, sweatshirts or mugs amplifies excitement.
Smart Brand Architecture Strengthens Every Next Step
A strong brand architecture creates the foundation for every decision that follows. Set a clear foundation now, and you’ll make every step that follows faster, smoother and more effective. Come back next week for Part 2 of our series where we’ll cover how to translate this foundation into a successful rebrand rollout.
Planning an Acquisition — or Already in the Thick of One?
Walker Sands helps brands rethink their architecture and set a clear path forward after an acquisition. Whether you’re folding a new company into your portfolio or building a hybrid model, our teams can help you make strategic decisions that support your long-term goals. Start building a stronger brand and reach out to our team today!
