INSIGHT

Five Brand Values Critical to M&A

Part two of our special series in partnership with Navima.

 

M&A deals are started based on the value found in each entity, including financial performance, capabilities, and market share. However, in many instances, there is a value that is often overlooked, even though it factors significantly in the success of the deal: brand value.

 
A brand provides differentiation from the competition, builds equity, saves time and creates efficiencies, engenders trust and loyalty, and guides organizations as they change and grow
 

  1. A brand provides differentiation from the competition.
    The brand can quickly differentiate a company or product. Articulating the perceived roots of this differentiation early in M&A will help to guide audiences toward positive perceptions of the deal.

  2. A brand builds equity.
    Brand equity is derived from consumer perceptions, and such perceptions do not take shape overnight. With careful control and attention over time, a brand’s reputation becomes clear and memorable. In an M&A setting, there may already be significant equity to build upon and, equally so, significant equity to lose.

  3. A brand saves time and creates efficiencies.
    By defining and honing the resultant brand in the early stages of M&A, voice, communication style, visual identity, and core messaging can stay ahead of marketplace conjecture and help to shape positive marketplace perceptions of the deal. Expressing a brand in advance requires less effort and energy than correcting misinterpretations and misrepresentations.

  4. A brand engenders trust and can build loyalty.
    Trust and loyalty. These are two of the greatest intangible assets at risk during and after the M&A process. They can be protected and preserved if your new company focuses on four principles: quality, consistency, transparency, and mutuality.

  5. A brand guides organizations as they change and grow.
    The foundation of the emergent M&A-created brand begins with a purpose and a vision. Clearly defining these elements early in the process will allow the brand itself to serve as a lodestar, maintaining a track of integrity through the often tidal forces of M&A.

Brand value is at its most volatile during and immediately after M&A activity. Defining and articulating it is essential to every stakeholder—and every customer—through the entire M&A process.

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This content series is part of our ongoing partnership with Navima.

Navima provides M&A teams with an intelligent way to collaborate globally, guide deals, and build repeatable playbooks in a single platform. This offering includes access to industry-leading experts, including our contribution—the most concise branding playbook ever designed, specifically for M&A.

is + at is proud to contribute to its success.

https://www.navima.io