The CMO's Guide to M&A Brand Strategy: How to Get it Right
Matt Bowen • January 10, 2021
Mergers and acquisition are on fire.
The total hit $3.6 trillion (with a T) globally in 2020 according to the Financial Times. And this was after deal-making in the first half of 2020, due to Covid, came to an almost screeching halt. So the second half of the year was truly exceptional and reflects what’s to come.
There are a lot of financial reasons for this, interest rates are low, equity markets remain high and companies are stockpiling cash.
If you look more closely, though, the reasoning and rationale behind the spurt of M&As is evolving. Whereas the typical key driver was once related to augmenting organic growth or attaining intellectual property or technology, many of the M&As are being driven by the shifting state of business—and even more so by the introspection created by a global pandemic.
While some acquisitions purely expand a customer and technology base—take Grubhub’s acquisition of Just Eat Takeaway, for example, others reflect something else that’s happening which has a major impact on Brand Strategy. Benjamin Gomes-Casseres, an expert on alliance strategies and professor at Brandeis University, refers to M&As as “remixes.” I like this because that is exactly what is happening, and more and more in not so traditional ways.
Take the acquisition of Salesforce and Slack, CVS of Aetna, or Amazon and Wholefoods. All are key examples of how the business landscape around us is shifting quickly, and companies are rethinking their portfolios to gain a new competitive edge, redefine an approach to their market or simply be on the defensive.
But here’s the rub: according to research led by Harvard University's Clayton Christensen, up to 90% of M&As fail to live up to their planned potential. What gives?
While each case is different, there are common themes surrounding why – more often than not – M&As don't produce value. Most often, the culprit is shortsightedness—focusing too narrowly, and often unrealistically, on cost savings and financial synergies. The classic “spreadsheet” approach to inorganic growth.
As technology journalist Joan Indiana Ridon related in Red Herring Magazine “the lack of integrating the two companies is the real reason why most fail.” Integration comes on multiple fronts, including people, culture, technologies, processes, vision and encompassing it all: brand strategy and architecture.
My experience working with many post-M&A companies is that the integration of brands and the building of a forward-looking, strategic brand architecture is one of the key components that most often gets punted for later, and usually for all the wrong reasons.
Companies are very protective of their brands, and while negotiations are happening the tough brand discussion (beyond “what are we going to call the new organization?”) rarely gets addressed up front. It's thought that this will naturally work itself out over time. Marketing will sort it out.
But what really happens is nothing. Companies end up with a confusing mix of brands and product lines that make little sense internally, and even less so to their customers. This is true even years after the M&A.
I call these amalgamated messes “brand goulashes.”
The period just after the M&A presents an unprecedented gift to the leadership of the company. It’s a time to make changes—and take on the tough challenges. If decisions—such as what the new brand portfolio of products and services will look like are not made at this initial stage—they most likely will not be made later either and it will get exponentially harder. And an ideal reason (M&A) for making the changes fades away.
This, in turn, saps the company of clarity and simplification and allows “brand tribalism” to take over the culture.
Your new combination of corporate brand and product/service level brands need to work together in a way that tells your new, and complete story. Every time an acquisition happens, the company’s narrative changes. It’s a perfect time to revisit the corporate brand narrative so that it is truly differentiated, simple, and clear. Your employees need this badly and the market wants to understand who you are becoming.
But 2021 will also present an additional, heightened challenge to M&A brand strategy: the changing and evolving needs of your market due to the impacts of reevaluating almost everything brought on by the global pandemic.
Before you can determine what the best brand architecture strategy will be, you need to get inside the evolving mindsets of your customers. Companies frequently make the mistake of not taking a more data influenced approach to understanding the real equity that corporate brands hold and rely too much on internal points of view. In an M&A situation, this immediately sets up two entrenched camps of thought, with the acquirer usually calling the shots leaving a bunch of confusion, disillusionment and hard feelings in the wake.
By taking the first 90 days of the M&A to conduct deep dive brand market research, you can determine exactly what the perceptions, awareness and intent-to-buy levels are for all of the brands in the new portfolio.
Additionally, you can determine if the target persona’s reasons for choosing one brand over another—the associated Value Drivers—are changing. Assumed value drivers, from my experience, are almost always created by internal teams based on their experience or third-party analysts’ reports. As a result, companies find themselves off the mark when these assumptions get translated into marketing and sales messaging.
M&As further complicate this matter. In a study of over 220 marketing leaders conducted by Brandigo, 72% stated they have no or only limited confidence that their organization understands the unique and changing pain points of their target audience.
Add all of this together, and you can see why many M&As from a brand perspective just don’t deliver.
So, what’s the best-practices-approach to getting the brand M&A right? Below are steps that will lead you in the right direction.
- Take an outside-in approach. After an M&A, emotions are high and brand tribes form overnight. To help bring a more scientific and data-driven approach to tough brand strategy divisions, conduct quantitative research with target buyers. This will tell you which brands in the portfolio have the strongest equity and highest levels of intent to buy and will give you the data you need to do the necessary culling of brands right out of the gate.
- Focus on simplicity. The objective of brand strategy and brand architecture is to create clarity and simplicity to the company's assets. Creating a structure that is simple will ensure that it will scale with the organization, while bringing the clarity that everyone desires, both internally and externally. Data and insights will help this tremendously—while also helping to soothe internal brand tribal sore spots. One of the biggest mistakes companies can make is having too many brands without a strategic rationale for them all to exist.
- Create a new corporate brand-level story. How is your corporate brand differentiated in a meaningful way? Why should anyone choose you in relation to your competitive alternatives? Even if the acquisition was relatively minor, chances are it should have an impact on your corporate brand narrative. When you look across your portfolio of products and services (or swim lanes or divisions), does it tell a cohesive story? Or are they siloed? This should be part of your corporate brand narrative.
- Seize the window of opportunity to create brand clarity at the product/services level. The time of the M&A presents an unheralded opportunity to make tough decisions that, if not made then, only get tougher and more disruptive as the two companies settle into their new existence. Consider all of the brands that each company has, whether they are product or service brands or both. Draw out a logical structure for them that goes beyond just pushing the two organizations together. Which brands should make the transition? Which should not? Which should be downgraded from brand status altogether? This discussion will help drive the bigger conversation around the future business model of the combined companies. Cleanup your brand architecture now.
- Do not underestimate the impact that brand strategy has on company culture. Research shows that the tribal mentality that happens post M&A is a serious reason why they don’t produce the value that was hoped. Use your brand strategy as a way to drive a new unified culture and break down the inevitable walls that will arise. Internally, brands can do one of two things: create separate camps or bring teams together. You know which one you want.
Sorting out your brand strategy and brand architecture is never an easy task. Add an M&A to it, and it gets especially complex. Everyone internally, from both companies, has an agenda during this period. But don’t miss this great opportunity because waiting will most certainly cause disruptive issues and lessen the value of the corporate growth strategy. Culling the portfolio is especially challenging and should be based on data, not emotions. This is where a neutral, third party that uses brand research to inform a set of strategic recommendations can be an immense asset.
But, most importantly, take on the challenge as soon as possible. The odds are against you if 90% of M&A’s don’t deliver on their planned value. So make sure this won’t be the case for you. Nothing good will come from letting it “play itself out,” and, in fact, it might be the number one reason that will determine if the M&A is a strategic win.
Your brand might not be as clear to your customers as you think. While internal teams focus on strategy and execution, customers only see the end result. This disconnect can lead to blind spots, inconsistent messaging, and missed opportunities. What’s the solution? An objective brand assessment. By bringing in an external perspective, you can identify gaps in how your brand is perceived, align your messaging with customer needs, and uncover areas for improvement. Here’s why it matters: Internal biases often mask issues like tone drift, outdated visuals, or unclear messaging. Competitor analysis reveals overused industry clichés and helps you stand out. Data-driven tools like customer surveys and message testing provide actionable insights. Consistent messaging across all platforms can boost revenue by up to 23%. An objective review doesn’t just clarify your brand’s position - it leads to measurable growth, better alignment within your team, and stronger customer connections. If your sales are slipping, your messaging feels outdated, or your brand is blending into the crowd, it’s time to reassess. Outside Perspective and Blind Spots When you're deeply involved in your brand's daily operations, it's easy to lose sight of how others perceive it. This "tunnel vision" can lead to blind spots where internal clarity doesn't match external impressions, potentially weakening your brand's impact. Finding Blind Spots with Fresh Eyes Blind spots often go unnoticed by internal teams but are glaringly obvious to your audience. This disconnect can damage credibility and reduce your brand's effectiveness [ 1 ]. Take "tone drift" or "visual drift", for example. Over time, subtle changes in messaging or design can creep in without anyone on the inside noticing. Yet, customers quickly pick up on these inconsistencies. Maybe your brand voice shifts slightly with each new campaign or hire, causing it to stray from its original identity and leaving customers confused. External reviewers frequently identify issues like inconsistent social media tones, a mismatch between brand values and customer support actions, or outdated visuals and messaging [ 1 ]. Even before customers directly interact with your brand, their perception starts forming based on factors like your website layout, bio text, pinned posts, or response times [ 1 ]. Another challenge is the "internal silence" that can form within teams. When dissenting opinions aren't encouraged, it's harder to question assumptions or spot new opportunities [ 3 ]. This is where outside reviewers or external experts can make a big difference. They bring an unbiased perspective, unclouded by daily involvement, to challenge assumptions and identify blind spots [ 1 ][ 3 ]. A simple yet powerful tool to test your brand's clarity is the "Stranger Test." Show your website or social media to someone unfamiliar with your brand for just a few seconds, then ask them what they think you do. If their answer misses the mark, it could signal that your messaging isn't clear [ 2 ]. But blind spots aren't just about processes. Leadership bias can also distort how a brand evolves, making it crucial to balance strategic vision with customer data. Balancing Leadership Opinions with Customer Data Leadership often comes with strong emotional ties to certain messages, visuals, or strategies. While this passion can spark creativity, it can also make it harder to adapt to what customers truly need. Just as fresh eyes can uncover misalignments in branding, they can also help recalibrate leadership's deeply held beliefs. External feedback provides the distance needed to spot these hidden biases and align strategies with customer expectations [ 1 ]. The key is finding a balance between leadership's insights and customer data. Leadership offers valuable context and strategic vision, but pairing these with external feedback creates a more grounded approach. External agencies, for instance, can provide tools like sentiment analysis, social listening, and competitor tracking - areas that internal teams might overlook [ 1 ]. These insights reveal what resonates with your audience, what doesn't, and where untapped opportunities might lie. The most effective brand evaluations blend leadership's vision with customer realities. Being too close to your brand can make it hard to see missteps or confusion, which is why an outside perspective is essential for gaining clarity and improving alignment [ 2 ]. Competitor Analysis and Differentiation Understanding your competitive landscape isn't just about knowing who your competitors are. It's about recognizing where predictable, overused messaging dominates and carving out a distinct voice for your brand. Without differentiation, brands risk blending into the noise, becoming just another face in the crowd. Spotting Industry Clichés and Generic Messaging Every industry has its share of buzzwords that get thrown around so often they lose their impact. Phrases like "best in class," "world-class," "AI-powered," or "industry-leading" are prime examples. These terms have been used so frequently that they no longer set brands apart, making it easy for competitors to overshadow them [ 5 ]. When messaging relies on these overplayed terms, it becomes generic and uninspiring. This can alienate customers, weaken trust, and hurt your brand's credibility, ultimately impacting conversion rates [ 4 ]. Conducting a thorough competitor analysis helps identify these overused phrases and patterns. Once you see what’s being repeated across the industry, you can focus on refreshing your messaging. By stepping away from clichés, you open the door to uncovering overlooked opportunities that can set your brand apart. Finding Market Gaps and Opportunities Competitor analysis is more than just spotting tired messaging - it’s about identifying what’s missing. The real gold lies in uncovering gaps in the market: the unmet needs and untapped opportunities that your competitors haven’t addressed. These gaps are where your brand can step in and claim authority. By analyzing competitor messaging, you gain the insights needed to create messaging that stands out. This process not only highlights competitors' strengths and weaknesses but also reveals underserved customer segments [ 6 ]. These insights can guide you toward niche opportunities and unmet needs, fueling innovation and growth [ 6 ][ 7 ]. The advantage becomes even more pronounced when you refine your value proposition and craft a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). A strong USP showcases what makes your products or services distinct and better, giving customers a clear reason to choose you [ 6 ][ 8 ]. Additionally, competitive intelligence can sharpen your top-of-funnel content, making it more engaging and effective at grabbing attention [ 9 ]. Data-Driven Assessment and Measurable Results When it comes to evaluating a brand, data outshines opinions every time. Yet, many brands still rely on gut instincts or internal biases instead of hard evidence. A structured, data-driven approach transforms brand assessment into a strategic advantage, connecting internal strategies with the realities of the market. The Importance of Fact-Based Assessments The most effective brand evaluations draw from multiple data sources to provide a clear and complete picture of a brand's standing. For example: Customer surveys reveal how your audience genuinely perceives your brand. These insights often highlight gaps between how you think your brand is viewed and how it’s actually received. This helps you see if your messaging hits the mark - or misses entirely. Message testing allows you to gauge audience reactions before launching a full campaign. Instead of guessing whether a new tagline will resonate, you’ll have concrete data showing how it performs across various customer segments. Competitive audits bring an external perspective that internal teams might overlook. By analyzing competitors’ positioning, messaging, and market presence, you can uncover opportunities and threats that might not be obvious from the inside. This kind of intelligence helps you understand not just what competitors are doing, but how well they’re doing it. Together, these tools create a comprehensive framework that shifts branding from guesswork to a science. Measurable Benefits of Objective Assessments Using data-driven insights doesn’t just clarify your brand’s position - it delivers measurable results. When your messaging aligns with what customers truly care about, they respond more positively. For instance, unaided awareness studies often show improved brand recall and stronger top-of-mind positioning. Brands that undergo objective assessments frequently see faster and more accurate recognition when customers are making purchase decisions. Higher conversion rates are another clear benefit. When your brand communicates its value effectively and stands out from competitors, more prospects turn into paying customers. This improvement can be seen across various touchpoints, from website performance to sales team success. Stronger positioning also supports premium pricing, increases customer lifetime value, and lowers acquisition costs. Plus, it tends to attract more qualified prospects who are ready to make a purchase. These measurable results create a feedback loop, allowing brands to make regular, data-informed adjustments. Over time, this approach empowers brand leaders to refine their strategies and drive consistent growth. How Brand Assessments Drive Growth Objective brand assessments can transform business performance by turning external insights into measurable growth. They bridge the gap between understanding your brand and implementing strategies that drive results. Before and After: The Impact of Brand Assessments The difference between a scattered brand and a unified one is hard to ignore. Many brands operate with fragmented messaging - one channel might highlight innovation, another focuses on reliability, while a third emphasizes community. This lack of cohesion confuses customers and dilutes the brand's overall impact. But after a thorough brand assessment, everything changes. Messaging becomes consistent across all platforms. Whether it’s a website, a sales pitch, or a social media post, every interaction reinforces the same core values. This consistency pays off: brands with aligned messaging see a 23% increase in revenue compared to those with fragmented communication [ 10 ]. The transformation doesn’t stop there. Internally, teams that once operated in silos begin working together with a shared understanding of the brand’s identity. Marketing campaigns become sharper, sales pitches more compelling, and customer service interactions more aligned with the brand promise. It’s not just about looking unified - it’s about performing better. Stopping Scattered Marketing Efforts Unified messaging also helps streamline marketing efforts and optimize resources. Without clear guidelines, marketing teams often chase trends or experiment with inconsistent messages, leading to campaigns that fail to build momentum. Brand assessments solve this by introducing clear frameworks for tone, visuals, and content templates [ 11 ]. These guidelines don’t stifle creativity; instead, they provide structure. Local teams can adapt to their markets while staying true to the brand’s core identity. Centralized content distribution ensures every communication reflects the same values [ 11 ]. Marketing teams save time by reusing consistent assets, and sales teams benefit from materials that align with the brand’s messaging. This unified approach doesn’t just create a seamless customer experience - it also improves efficiency. When every marketing dollar supports the same goal, resources are used more effectively, and the cumulative impact grows. The benefits extend to team morale and productivity. Instead of debating what the brand should say or how it should look, teams can focus on execution. The assessment acts as a roadmap, allowing everyone to work toward a common goal and move the brand forward with confidence. Practical Guide for Brand Leaders Knowing when and how to conduct a thorough brand assessment can make all the difference in staying competitive in today’s fast-paced market. Here’s a practical guide to identifying the right moments to act and taking the necessary steps to ensure your brand remains relevant. Spotting the signs early can help you address potential issues before they grow into larger challenges. Signs It's Time for an Objective Brand Assessment There are several telltale signs that your brand might need a closer look. Major changes within your business - such as launching new products, navigating market shifts, mergers, or securing funding - often mean your brand’s current positioning might no longer align with your goals [ 12 ][ 13 ]. A dip in performance is another clear signal. If you’re noticing declining sales, underwhelming campaign results, or poor KPIs, it could point to deeper issues with your brand messaging [ 12 ][ 13 ]. Customer confusion or outdated brand elements also serve as strong indicators. If customers struggle to understand what your brand stands for, or if your branding feels stuck in the past, it’s time to reassess [ 12 ]. Internal misalignment is another red flag. When leadership teams clash over brand goals or employees can’t articulate the brand’s value clearly, it often translates to a muddled external image [ 12 ][ 13 ]. Lastly, if your brand starts blending into the crowd or losing ground to competitors, it’s a sign your positioning isn’t working. An objective review can help uncover ways to stand out and reclaim market share [ 13 ]. When these warning signs appear, acting quickly is key to staying ahead. How Often Should Brands Conduct an Assessment? The timing of brand assessments varies depending on your industry and business needs, but there’s growing evidence that regular reviews are becoming more critical. For example, 90% of companies say their industries have grown more competitive in the past three years, with nearly half describing the shift as significant [ 17 ]. Add to that the fact that around 30,000 new products hit the market annually, and it’s clear why staying relevant requires constant attention [ 17 ]. For most brands, an annual assessment is a good starting point to keep tabs on competitive trends and shifting customer preferences [ 14 ]. However, industries that move quickly may need to assess key brand elements every quarter [ 14 ]. Beyond routine check-ins, certain events call for immediate action. Expanding into new markets, leadership changes, economic disruptions, or bold moves by competitors are all triggers for a brand review. If your company’s progress feels slower than expected or external forces are reshaping your industry, waiting for the next scheduled assessment could mean missing critical opportunities [ 15 ][ 16 ]. Choosing the Right Partner for the Job Once you’ve decided to reassess your brand, the next step is finding the right external partner to guide the process. The ideal partner should bring strong research skills and strategic expertise - not just design capabilities. Look for someone who can perform in-depth customer surveys, competitive analyses, and message testing that explore both the emotional and logical drivers behind customer decisions. A great partner will know how to turn these insights into actionable strategies that differentiate your brand and boost revenue. They should also clearly show how their recommendations connect to measurable business outcomes. While familiarity with your industry can be helpful, it’s more important that the partner excels in delivering solid research and strategic advice. Collaboration is equally important. The best partners work closely with your internal teams to ensure their findings lead to meaningful changes across marketing, sales, and product development. When evaluating potential partners, ask for case studies that demonstrate how their work has led to tangible improvements, like a stronger market position, revenue growth, or successful expansion into new markets. The Last Word: Using Objectivity to Move Your Brand Forward Taking an objective look at your brand isn’t just a good idea - it’s a game-changer. Bringing in an external perspective can uncover blind spots that internal teams might overlook. It also helps break free from the rut of “this is how we’ve always done it,” opening the door to fresh opportunities. By combining external insights with a competitive review, you can pinpoint where your messaging might be falling flat and where untapped opportunities lie. When industry messaging starts to blur together, customers often shift their focus to price instead of forming a real connection with your brand. A competitive analysis can help you find the gaps where your brand can truly stand out. Relying on data-driven insights takes the guesswork out of decision-making. Instead of relying on gut instincts or internal politics, tools like customer surveys, message testing, and perception audits provide solid evidence of what works. This kind of clarity empowers your team to make confident, strategic moves. But perhaps the biggest benefit of an objective assessment is the alignment it fosters within your organization. It helps eliminate disjointed marketing efforts that waste time and confuse your audience. Instead, it creates a clear, fact-supported narrative that everyone on your team can rally around. When leadership and marketing are aligned, the brand strategy becomes more focused and impactful. Ultimately, adopting an objective view of your brand sets the stage for growth. The question is: will you take action on these insights before your competitors do?
For many companies, the fourth quarter is both a sprint and a launchpad. You’re closing out revenue goals, but you’re also laying the groundwork for the year ahead. The brands that finish strong and start fast aren’t lucky — they’re intentional. They know their customers, they have a clear positioning strategy, and they operationalize that strategy across every part of the business. There are currently a lot of economic factors that need to be considered – from consumer uncertainty to tariffs. If you want your brand to stand out in 2026, here’s your Q4 readiness checklist, built on the principles we use at Brandigo: deep customer insight, data-conscious positioning, and smart use of tools — including AI — to make your marketing more effective and scalable. 1. Revisit Your Customer Research Why it matters: Markets shift quickly. According to Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer report, 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen. Action : Review customer and prospect data from the last 12 months. Conduct a quick pulse survey or a set of short customer interviews to understand evolving needs, priorities, and challenges. Look for gaps between what you think your customers want and what they’re actually telling you. 2. Audit Your Brand Positioning Why it matters: Even the most powerful creative loses steam if it’s not anchored in a clear, differentiated brand position. McKinsey research shows companies with strong, consistent brand positioning achieve up to 20% higher profitability than competitors. Action: Review your current positioning statement and messaging pillars. Ask: Are we still saying something truly unique? Is it backed by proof points customers care about? Test your positioning with a sample of your target audience before rolling into new campaigns. 3. Align the Organization Around the Brand Why it matters: A brand strategy that only lives in the marketing department won’t move the needle. Operationalizing your brand means integrating it into sales conversations, customer service interactions, hiring practices, and product development. Action : Host a Q4 “brand alignment” session with leaders from every department. Provide a simple one-page “brand playbook” that outlines tone of voice, value propositions, and core messaging. Encourage each department to share how they’ll bring the brand to life in their own work. 4. Review and Refresh Content for Q4 Campaigns Why it matters: The end of the year is noisy. To stand out, you need content that’s relevant, timely, and connected to your brand story. HubSpot reports that companies publishing 16+ blog posts per month generate about 3.5 times more traffic than those publishing 0–4. Action: Map your content to both year-end offers and early-year positioning. Refresh high-performing evergreen content with updated data, visuals, or CTAs. Plan for post-holiday engagement — not just pre-holiday promotions. 5. Embrace AI to Accelerate Marketing Workflows Why it matters: AI isn’t replacing brand strategy — it’s amplifying it. According to PwC, 86% of CEOs say AI is a “mainstay” in their offices, with the biggest gains coming from productivity and personalization. Action : Identify 1–2 AI tools that can help you speed up specific workflows, like content drafting, image creation, or data analysis. Set clear rules for how AI will support — not replace — your team’s strategic and creative decision-making. Train your team to use AI ethically, ensuring your brand’s authenticity is never compromised. 6. Set Measurable Goals for the New Year Why it matters: The best time to plan Q1 is before Q4 ends. Brands that start January with clarity waste less time “warming up” and more time gaining market share. Action : Define key brand metrics for Q1: awareness, consideration, engagement, and conversion. Align these with broader business goals, ensuring they’re measurable and trackable from day one. Set up dashboards or reporting tools so progress is transparent across the organization. In Short… Your Q4 is more than just the final quarter of the year — it’s your brand’s launchpad into the next. By combining deep customer insight, differentiated positioning, internal alignment, and the smart use of tools (including AI), you can finish strong, start stronger, and keep your brand ahead of the curve.