Merger Name

By on Nov 17, 2009 in basic naming questions, company names, merger naming, naming tips

So, you’ve just merged with another organization and you are trying to decide on a name for the newly created entity. Should you:

  1. Create a totally new name to emphasize a new direction and a new, exciting future? If so, what happens to the two “old” company names?
  2. Retain the “stronger” of the two company names for the new entity, dropping the other one?  If you do this, how do you keep the employees  of the organization whose name your are dropping from becoming disgruntled and disillusioned?
  3. Combine elements of each entity’s old name together to form a new name that maintains a subtle connection back to both of the old names, leveraging the equity in each?
  4. Keep the name of one entity but the logo of the other so that both organizations feel they are represented in the new identity and neither one’s customers feel alienated?

If you are not sure which of these options is right for you, you might be surprised to learn that there are actually at least ten different brand identify solutions for a merger.  Each has its strengths and weaknesses and will require some analysis and perhaps even research before you’ll know what is best for you.  A client of ours cited an excellent article on this subject: “Merging the Brand and Branding the Merger” by Richard Ettenson and Jonathan Knowles from the MIT Sloan Management Review.  We recommend you peruse it or contact us directly if you would like professional help naming your newly merged organization.

4 Comment(s)

  1. I was examining some of your content on this site and I conceive this web site is real informative! Retain putting up.

    worek treningowy ćwiczenia | Sep 26, 2011 | Reply

  2. Thanks for your support! We’ll keep the content coming!

    admin | Sep 26, 2011 | Reply

  3. Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your site in internet explorer, would check this… IE still is the market leader and a good portion of people will miss your fantastic writing because of this problem.

    Khadijah Vacek | Oct 21, 2011 | Reply

  4. Thanks for the follow-up, and we’ll definitely look into it. Glad to know you enjoy the content!

    admin | Oct 23, 2011 | Reply

Post a Comment

  • HealthYes!

    Video Testimonial - Part 1 | 2

  • Snapio

    Video Testimonial - Part 1 | 2

  • Raving Fans

  • Thanks so much for all your expert advice and professional project management throughout this endeavor. This has been one of the most satisfying engagements with a vendor that I have experienced over the years, which speaks to the high quality and thoughtful output of your efforts. I especially appreciated your flexibility and patience as the project took on new challenges which impacted the scope of work. You can be certain that as our business grows, NameStormers will be top-of-mind for future work.
    Will Jarred - Executive Director of Sales & Marketing - ETS - Educational Testing Service

  • ________________

  • I must underscore what an absolute pleasure it was to work with you during this entire project. Your methodical, timely, and resourceful approach to educating me on how a new name affects a company, and the steps you so painstaking address to make the transition a seamless one, were outstanding. Each time I needed to contact you to get direction or clarification, you responded with immediate and informative action. You are the consummate professional and a real pleasure to work with.
    Dorian Stern - Director of Marketing, Logicare

  • ________________

  • Thank you for your excellent work, great customer service, and fast turnaround. I'd be happy to provide references for you. We decided on Alliant as a good tie to the corporate name: Virginia Mason-Group Health Alliance, Inc. And we've got two Alliant Health Plans, Plus which is a point of service plan, and Select for the HMO.
    Paula Heath - Director of Advertising & Sales Promotion - Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound

  • ________________

  • I received your presentation booklet for our new car concept---I looked through it and want to compliment you on an outstanding job. The names you have developed will be terrific starting points for us as we move our project forward. We will not hesitate to use your firm again.
    Mike Suchstand - Vice President, Strategic Development - THORN Americas, Inc.

  • ________________

  • I have hired Mike to do naming projects for several of our clients. Naming can be a difficult area for many companies and Mike does a great job walking people through the process and making them feel comfortable. One of his strengths is his ability to ask the right questions to really understand the problem and the objectives at hand. This allows NameStormers to always come up with a wide variety of options that expands the thinking of the client. I have yet to have a client be disappointed with the process or the results. If you are considering going through a naming exercise, I would highly recommend Mike and The NameStormers.
    Tom Dorow, Design North.

  • ________________

  • Our success with our name change and branding has been phenomenal. I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. I am ecstatic over it. Our experience in working with NameStormers has been so good let's just call them again and let them handle this next project for us.
    Bill Macey - CEO of Valtera, formerly Personnel Research Associates

  • ________________

  • The naming industry landscape is littered with agencies that make the process seem onerous and intimidating. They tout their unique proprietary processes, advanced research and ideation tools, etc. And then they tell you it's going to take months and months. Ugh. With Mike and NameStormers, you get a team focused on results. Their approach is practical, thorough and creative. And they can be flexible and lightning fast. If you want results without the headaches, then I highly recommend NameStormers.
    David Cameron, Business Public Affairs, Dow Chemical