In the 18-hour days running up to a deal, with financial, legal and operational issues flying around the room, brand is typically an afterthought.
Big mistake!
Mergers, acquisitions and spinoffs are defining moments which, handled correctly, can deliver significant tangible value to a business. By contrast, without a solid brand platform to work from, company integrations are often mismanaged and communications to key constituencies suffer. A strong and clear corporate brand will help mitigate these problems, by galvanizing employees and communicating what the company stands for to all stakeholders.
So, for CEOs and the deal teams, who are in the thick of it, here’s a checklist of questions to throw out to your team, or to someone like us.
1. Equity. Do we have any idea how much the market values our brand/s?
2. Positioning. Can we use this opportunity to elevate, even redefine, our story?
3. Naming. Does our name and portfolio of offerings reflect the strength and potential of this new entity?
4. Employees. Have our people bought-in to the business’s vision and purpose?
5. Identity. Does our combined image reflect our desired positioning and a unified vision for the future?
6. Experience. Are we delivering on the promise of our brand at every touch point?
You can’t solve all these challenges in the run up to a deal, but canny CEOs know that clear direction on brand early on is critical to success in times of change.
