Mergers and acquisitions often fail to create value in the real world.
Many factors contribute to failed M&A, yet we find that key branding choices are often rushed and poorly planned.
Finch Brands has done extensive M&A brand integration work - our advanced frameworks drive key decisions around messaging, identity, architecture, integration, and beyond. Once key strategic building blocks are in place, we work closely with clients to manage these complex processes.
M&A branding decisions are a visible manifestation of the business strategy – a declaration of what the world should expect from the 'new' entity.
The marketplace - customers and prospects - is clearly an important target audience. Both so is the combined workforce of the firms in the deal. And the deal will fail if internal communications are not thoughtful and cohesive.
M&A brand choices are complex - and depend on both the business strategy and nature of existing brand equities. Thus, it is essential to conduct comprehensive (yet efficient) stakeholder research.
With many factors to consider, a ticking clock, and an agenda that veers into emotional territory, M&A branding is a distinctive skillset. We focus not only on outcomes, but on the right process to engage key stakeholders so we can make progress.
To activate the full potential of a merger or acquisition, leadership teams must seize opportunity and manage risk across a range of dimensions. Within this endeavor, branding is a critical – and often overlooked – work stream. M&A branding is the process of defining the core elements of the go forward brand(s) and navigating the path to get there.
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The best brands are built from the inside out — engaged and inspired teammates create exceptional customer experiences. So, while developing and launching external communications is crucial to the branding process post-merger or acquisition, it is important to consider internal team members as both information source and target audience within M&A branding processes.
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With key elements in place and the team poised to bring the emergent brand to life in the marketplace, the company can focus on external activation. That means defining a “Day 1” — the date around which externally-facing launch planning will center, and the moment we “go live.”
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The M&A branding process can feel fast and chaotic, and given everything else a leadership team is managing, overwhelming. As such, it is easy to forget the importance of active listening in both defining the right path forward and managing stakeholder expectations and emotions.
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When it comes to M&A branding, the right path forward is unique to each situation. In order to activate the full potential of the deal from a branding perspective, companies must gather insights, build a strategy, and thoughtfully introduce go-forward brand choices both internally and externally.
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After a merger or acquisition, brand strategy acts as a declaration of what the world should expect from the go-forward company. The first glimpse of the new entity, however, is often established through the brand’s architecture.
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Choices around M&A brand strategy or M&A brand architecture send important signals to key stakeholders. These decisions express to employees, investors, customers, and the market, where the entity is headed, what’s changing, and what’s staying the same. Making the right M&A brand strategy decisions is critical to activating the full potential of any merger or acquisition.
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In this episode of the Real-World Branding podcast, we review the 10 different branding options firms have in merger and acquisition situations and discuss how to decide which M&A brand approach is best for your specific situation.
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In this episode of the Real-World Branding podcast, we we look at the need for practitioners to understand the critical role that brand plays in the success or failure of M&A events.
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With 70-90% of mergers failing to create value, this decision carries significant weight. One thing has been abundantly clear throughout – the right M&A brand architecture approach is situational.
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