What value can your brand add to your public offering?

Brand thinking is critical to support any form of corporate structuring or financing to realise value. Too often, brand is the last consideration as executives get consumed by organisational and financial decisions, and they are forced to clean up the mess later, sometimes too late.??

Whether you are planning an IPO, M&A, or Spin-Off, there are vital considerations when deciding what brand strategy to follow.

IPOs are the ultimate vehicles to unlock value for company founders and government owners and support the growth and expansion to become mega businesses.?? All IPO stakeholders are consumers; they respond emotionally to the brand and its communication in addition to the fundamentals in the prospectus.

After acquiring SABIC, Saudi Aramco shifted its focus and positioning to becoming a leading global integrated energy and chemical producer. Their shift from Saudi Aramco to Aramco demonstrates their desire to be global and become one of the most valuable companies in the world. The FI and World Cricket sponsorship shows Aramco’s interest in building its profile and positioning it as a leading-edge player in reducing CO2 emissions.?

Inevitably, companies that shift to the next growth phase must develop their brands to support the shift towards globalization, greater public scrutiny, and the required transparency and governance of public companies.??

Our clients often ask when the right time is to consider a strategic branding program, and we answer, "As soon as possible."

Developing your brand ahead of the listing sends a signal to the market that you are transforming ahead of the capital raise. It inspires and motivates your team and builds belief in the aspirations and future of the company. Developing your brand shortly after the IPO, aligned to your key strategic initiatives, packages the change agenda into a consistent and curated story your stakeholders can understand, amplifying the effect on the market.

These are some of the key branding considerations with IPOs.

• How does your band help you power and articulate your growth ambition?
• How can your brand positioning and marketing communication strengthen your story and the belief you generate in the company?
• How can your brand provide the platform for strategic messaging to the market after your listing?
• How can we simplify your brand, ensuring you focus your resources on the businesses and brands with the greatest opportunity for value creation?

Bringing your branding team and partners to the table as early as possible in a large restructure will help realise the deal's value by considering how best you go to market during and after the deal.?