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The Fine Art of Merging Brands

August 13, 2019 By Suzanne

Paint-brush-circleYou may have thought of merging with another business as a growth strategy once or twice. But whether you take this route or simply partner as a Joint Venture or team up as a host beneficiary or complimentary service with another entity; it is critical to take stock in the full essence each brand brings in creating the newly combined relationship.

Merging two or more brands together is so much more than what it might look like on paper. It is more than the bottom line financials, the logistics of the deal, more than the name change, the new logo or business cards. Think of it as impacting the ‘Gestalt’ of everything you do from this point forward. Everything you do in this process will have a direct and indirect result to your long-term success.

Now, this subject could be a whole book, but today, it is just a brief thought-provoking blog post that will hopefully stir some appreciation of the finesse, or ‘art’ involved in staying conscious, strategic and deliberate in this process.

This ‘union’ should be thought of as a marriage. Each entity has its own brand equity (internal and external) it is bringing to the table. And it’s highly emotional. That equity and ‘way of being’ comes with baggage, sort of like in-laws, cousins, and siblings at a family reunion that will last for years.

And so, in thinking this through, it brings up countless questions to begin considering. Such as;

  1. How will these two brands relate and collaborate through the process of becoming one?
  2. Which brand’s external market positioning will be dominant? Or will they meld to create yet a different brand altogether?
  3. Which culture will be infused with the other? What brand vocabulary will be infused into the collective entity?
  4. What core values are common denominators within each merging brand? And how will the dominant values penetrate the incoming brand’s current and future way of being?
  5. Brand style must be addressed as well: “What will be the default ‘approach’ to customer service, vendor management, employee engagement, policies & procedures, leadership, corporate communication, marketing messaging, etc.
  6. How will the stakeholders begin to understand the new ‘why’ of the collective entity?
  7. How will the market (current and prospective) ‘buy-in’ to the merge and fully understand the narrative enough to continue to be loyal and advocate for the brand?
  8. How will your brand promise change or be solidified by this merger?
  9. What revisions to our standards of performance will occur from the internal and external perspective?
  10. How will your key brand differentiators be affected, enriched, or expanded with the merging of the additional brand’s unique differentiators? And how will you leverage them as the new entity?

These 10 questions are just a few to chew on beyond the legal paperwork and logistics. Successful mergers are well thought out and consider these brand-based questions (and more) well before the two entities are officially tied together. It’s all about alignment, from the inside out. Think long-term.

If these questions aren’t addressed appropriately, then rumors, dissention, fear, gossip, and insecurities could develop in a short period of time and negate the efforts of the purpose of the merger long-term.

When these questions are addressed with conscious, strategic and deliberate planning, then you are that much more likely to ease into the melding of brands with positivity, comprehension, excited anticipation, openness, and confidence. This process can be an artful infusion of two different mediums that result in a masterpiece.

Filed Under: brand building, Brand Definition, Brand Strategy, Business Practices Tagged With: brand merger, merging brands

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Tonya-round-BW-web“Building on a lot of prior soul-searching and “inside work,” the Personal Brand Presence DNA process has helped me to step into an image that is consistent with who I know myself to be. It helped me to articulate what it really means to walk my talk in a way that’s visible and tangible, not just to me but also to others, and I will forever be grateful for that.”
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DeniseWhitaker-BW-Round“Taking the Personal Brand Presence course was like going through a re-birthing process for myself. It was truly enlightening to have that alone time with ME, and rediscover who I was. The course and consulting sessions were empowering, and added so much confidence to my state of being!”
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Lisa Gross, Sr. Mortgage Lender, Peoples National Bank
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Mark ShadlePresidentSpeed2ResultsColorado Springs
“When I first came into the Personal Brand Mastermind program, I felt like my business was in a good place (just landed my biggest client to date) and wasn’t sure if it was for me. After JUST Module 1, I realized how much MORE my business can be and everything I have missed or currently am missing. What a powerful program by Suzanne and the Brand Ascension Group! Can’t wait for Module 2! Check her out if you are looking to take your business to another level and find YOUR BRAND DNA!” … Read more
Nathan Darrington, CEO, ND Total Web Design
“Suzanne is a subject matter expert and superb facilitator for building a dynamic culture and brand. I have been in two organizations that immersed themselves in her engaging and powerful Brand DNA process. Her process fully enrolls everyone from customer facing staff to senior executives so that all conclusions are readily embraced and instantly internalized by all stakeholders. If your enterprise wants to experience immediate and lasting transformation, engage Suzanne.”
Robert Todd, Operations & Finance Expert
“Suzanne is personable, precise in her communications, and extremely professional. Her concept and methodology of brand development is simple and powerful, and it’s already reaping great results! Her vast experience and impeccable integrity make her a powerful member of my business team. I highly recommend Suzanne to any business owner seeking greater impact and a bigger bottom line! Great Results, Expert, High Integrity!”
Chevy Chevallard, CEO, Conduct Your Life!
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting such a breakthrough!” That is what you will tell yourself when you complete one of Suzanne’s Personal Brand Mastermind courses. If you are not aligned with your authenticity, everything in your life will suffer as a result. I highly recommend anyone who wants to get to the next level in business or their personal life to enroll in this series. This is an exclusive training program for high-caliber, high-potential clients so be ready to roll up your sleeves do… Read more
Cory Arcarese, CEO, CArc Media

SarahRyals-Pic“Suzanne creates a wonderful experience to build an understanding of brand, especially for those who are new to brand basics. Her teaching modules are clear, well organized, thoughtfully explained, and she does a great job coaching teams through the work. The final outcome is an actionable foundation for delivering a consistent, meaningful brand experience for all the brand’s stakeholders.”

Sarah Ryals, Women's Resource Agency Board Member
“I highly recommend Suzanne for website, branding, and any and all creative work. She is excellent to work with: fast, on-time, full of fresh ideas, offers solutions, great attitude, multi-talented…and also fun! Suzanne has been a tremendous asset to Grizzard and our marketing program. She is an integral part of our team and success.”
Stacy Guidice, Marketing Dir., Grizzard Communications

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