Question

Topic: Branding

Multiple Businesses Consolidate Into One

Posted by Anonymous on 10/27/2008 at 10:00 AM ET 250 Points
I have a client that has several smaller sub-companies. He is trying to move the company forward as a whole and is torn about the branding. Should they all be under one name and forget the former names, even though they have strong name recognition in their respective communities? Should he use the umbrella name as the most important brand and then have the individual names underneath as secondary? Should he have the individual names as the most important with the umbrella name underneath as secondary?

They are looking to attract two very different audiences - local individuals along with larger state-wide companies.

My initial reaction is to use the umbrella name as primary with the individual names as secondary and gradually remove the individual names over a period of several years.

Does anyone have any experience or case studies about this? Any advice on how to approach it?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Mikee on 10/27/2008 at 6:46 PM Accepted
    I like Individual Name, A division of Parent Company. As mentioned earlier, this allows you to start getting the Parent Company name recognition while allowing each entities name recognition to live on. Over some time you might drop the individual names, but I do not see any reason to. You have spent a long time developing name recognition. Do not throw it away.

    Mike
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 10/27/2008 at 8:40 PM Accepted
    Since your separate markets aren't going to care about your parent company, make the association softly (" A member of the XYZ group of companies"). The XYZ name would be useful for investors, not your customers (unless your separate brands overlap in demographics/services).
  • Posted on 10/29/2008 at 9:13 PM Accepted
    Read this-
    https://www.psychotactics.com/arttwins


  • Posted on 11/4/2008 at 12:29 AM Accepted
    Hi,

    There are lot of interesting responses to your dilemma... but like someone mentioned "why fix it when it aint broke", if there are independent business which are doing well and have a certain amount of equity, clubbing them under an xyz group of companies is the way to go (adds might to the already strong equity for the businesses) and as a campaign, if there is a communication which says "now part of xyz group" it re-energizes the interest and creates positive predisposition for the group and imparts solidity. Also in communication, if there is a uniformity that is slowly embedded (colors, formats of communication..), they all add up and make the group stronger.
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