The Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Brand Identity - A Marketer’s Perspective

When Two Brands Become One - Or Don’t

Every time a new merger or acquisition is announced in biopharma, medtech, or the CRO/CDMO space, you can almost hear the same buzzwords rolling out. “Synergy.” “Growth acceleration.” “Enhanced capabilities.”

And somewhere, buried deep in the corporate deck, is a bullet point about brand strategy - which, let’s be honest, usually means brand afterthought.

From my experience, most M&A conversations are dominated by finance, operations, and legal. That’s understandable - they’re the ones signing the deal. But what’s baffling is how often brand identity is treated as a minor detail, something to be “figured out later” or consolidated in the simplest way possible.

I’ve seen legacy brands disappear overnight with no explanation. I’ve seen rebrands so uninspired that they drained all the equity out of what was once a strong company. And I’ve seen integrations where the messaging became such a tangled mess that even internal teams couldn’t explain what the company actually did anymore.

So let’s talk about what actually happens to brands post-M&A - and how marketers can step in before these missteps become permanent.

The Branding Dilemma in M&A - What Gets Lost?

If you’ve been through an M&A process, you’ve seen it: the awkward transition period where two brands are trying to coexist, but it’s not clear whether they’re equals, one is absorbing the other, or if something entirely new is on the horizon.

That confusion doesn’t just affect customers - it affects employees, partners, and the market at large. And too often, decisions are made with efficiency in mind, rather than strategy.

1. When Legacy Brands Disappear Overnight

This one always makes me shake my head. A company with decades of trust, recognition, and market goodwill gets acquired, and suddenly, the name is gone. Just like that.

I get it - sometimes it makes sense. Maybe the acquired company had a weaker reputation. Maybe consolidating under one brand was the smartest long-term play. But more often than not, I’ve seen strong, respected brands tossed aside without a second thought - only for the acquiring company to struggle with customer retention and recognition later.

From my experience, if a brand has built strong equity, don’t kill it just because you can. At the very least, take time to understand what it means to customers before making drastic changes.

2. When Two Cultures and Identities Clash

Every company has an internal culture. Some are highly technical and research-driven. Others are more commercial, with a heavy focus on sales. Some thrive on speed and agility, while others value structure and process.

Now take two companies with very different cultures and force them together under one brand. What could go wrong?

Well, everything.

I’ve seen M&A deals where one company had a strong, patient-centric identity, while the other was more corporate and numbers-driven. When they merged, the messaging landed somewhere in between - which meant it resonated with no one.

Brand identity isn’t just about logos and colors. It’s about values, voice, and personality. If those elements aren’t aligned post-merger, customers and employees will feel the disconnect - fast.

3. The Misstep of “Generic Rebranding”

This might be my biggest pet peeve.

A merger happens. A decision is made to create a new brand identity. And what do they come up with?

A hyphenated Frankenstein name that no one will ever remember. A nondescript corporate identity that could belong to any company in any industry. A logo so generic it looks like it was pulled from a stock website.

I don’t understand why companies spend billions on acquisitions only to water down their own identity in the process.

From my experience, a safe rebrand is a forgettable rebrand. If the new entity doesn’t have a clear, compelling story, people will default to whatever brand they trusted before - which, ironically, might be the one you just erased.

How Marketers Can Protect and Reinvent Brand Identity Post-M&A

So, how do we avoid these branding pitfalls? It comes down to making brand strategy a priority from the beginning - not an afterthought once the deal is done.

1. Prioritizing Brand Strategy Alongside Integration Strategy

I’ve sat in post-merger meetings where leadership is obsessing over operational efficiencies and financial synergies - but no one has an answer for how they’re going to communicate the new brand to the market.

This is a problem.

If you’re a marketer involved in M&A, push for a brand audit early. Look at:

?? How customers and HCPs perceive both brands.

?? What elements of each brand have the strongest equity.

?? What risks come with changing or consolidating brand identities.

Skipping this step is like rolling the dice with customer trust.

2. The Decision: Keep, Merge, or Retire a Brand?

Not all brands can (or should) survive an M&A. But the decision to keep, merge, or retire a brand should be intentional, not just a default move.

• When to keep a legacy brand: If a product, service, or division has standalone recognition, keeping its identity intact might be the smartest play.
• When to merge brands: If two companies serve the same audience with similar offerings, blending their identities (in a thoughtful way) can work.
• When to start fresh: If both brands have baggage or limitations, a clean break and a bold new identity might be the right call.

But whatever decision is made, it needs to come with a clear story. The worst thing a company can do is expect customers to just “figure it out” as they go.

3. The Communication Challenge: Keeping Customers, HCPs, and Investors Aligned

This is where I’ve seen even the strongest brands struggle. The internal teams are aligned, the new brand is finalized, and then...

• The sales team isn’t equipped to explain the change.
• Customers don’t know what the transition means for them.
• The website, digital presence, and content strategy lag behind the rebrand.

Branding post-M&A isn’t just about what the company calls itself - it’s about how that change is communicated.

From my experience, a successful transition requires:

• Internal buy-in - if employees don’t understand or believe in the new brand, neither will customers.
• A proactive content strategy - messaging should be clear, confident, and reinforced across multiple touchpoints.
• A well-executed digital presence - if a company’s LinkedIn still reflects the old brand three months post-merger, that’s a problem.

M&A Is More Than a Financial Play - It’s a Brand Play

At the end of the day, a merger isn’t just about combining companies - it’s about creating a new story that people can believe in.

And that’s where marketers need to step up.

So, if you’re in the middle of an M&A transition, ask yourself:

?? Are we treating brand perception as a real asset - or just another line item in the integration plan?

?? Are we thinking about what customers want to see, not just what’s easiest internally?

?? Are we ensuring the new brand feels like something worth trusting and believing in?

Because if you’re not asking these questions - chances are, no one else is either. And by the time you realize the impact, the damage might already be done.