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