We’re pleased to announce that Sustena, a Pariveda company, has been awarded two 2023 Transform Awards for the brand work developed for Bridgeway and GBTA. 

Sustena won Silver in the **Best Brand Consolidation** category for our work with [Bridgeway](https://sustenagroup.com/work/bridgeway), and Bronze in the **Best Brand Development Project to Reflect a Change of Mission, Values or Positioning** for our work with [GBTA](https://sustenagroup.com/work/gbta). We were honored to be recognized alongside some of the biggest names in branding, and were energized to see the fantastic brand work showcased at the awards.

The Transform Awards celebrates the transformative power of rebranding and brand development.

[Read more about these projects on our website here.](https://sustenagroup.com/work/)

**Full Winners List for the Two Categories**

**Best Brand Consolidation**
- Gold – Holman and Starfish
- Silver – Bridgeway and Sustena, a Pariveda company
- Bronze – Textron Aviation and Brunswick Creative

**Best brand development project to reflect a change of mission, values or positioning**
- Gold – Akin and Living Group
- Gold – GE Aerospace and Interbrand
- Silver – GE Vernova and Interbrand
- Bronze – GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) and Sustena, a Pariveda company
- Bronze – Q4 and Thackway McCord
- Highly commended – BorgWarner and Siegel+Gale


**About the Transform Awards**

The ninth annual Transform Awards North America 2023 recognize best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work, with categories that focus on strategy, execution, content and evaluation.

The event was judged by an esteemed panel of experts hailing from the likes of Morgan Stanley, Major League Soccer and Audible. The judges focused on creativity, innovation, strategic excellence and implementation when determining the best entries throughout each category.

The Transform Award is sponsored by Transform Magazine, the only global magazine to cover rebranding and brand development. [Learn more about the Transform Awards](https://www.transformmagazine.net/awards/north-america/).

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Sustena Awarded Two Transform Awards 2023

### Clear brand architecture differentiates your offerings and enhances customer understanding.

*By Ryan Paul, Principal and Creative Director*

### What is brand architecture?

Brand architecture is the hierarchal structure of a company’s externally-facing products and services and their relationship to the parent company. It’s an organizational tool that provides logic and definition, helping audiences understand a company’s offering.

As companies grow, introduce new products or services, or acquire businesses, their brand portfolios become more complex — and so do their [brand architectures](https://parivedasolutions.com/brand-development/brand-architecture/). The lines between offerings can become less differentiated and their respective roles less clear.

“The goal should be to have the fewest relevant brands needed to meet the business goals<sup>1</sup>,” says David Aaker, Vice-Chairman of brand consulting firm Prophet and author of *Brand Portfolio Strategy: Creating Relevance, Differentiation, Energy, Leverage, and Clarity.*

## Why does this matter?

Without a strategy for companies to manage [brand architecture](https://parivedasolutions.com/brand-development/brand-architecture/), customers can get confused. If the benefit, role, or relevance are unclear, customers won’t consider the offer. An undefined brand architecture makes it hard for customers to find what they are looking for.

Companies that actively manage their brand architecture are more relevant to customers, build and protect brand equity, and facilitate business growth.

### The five brand architecture models

Brand architecture decisions should be driven by a company’s [business strategy](https://parivedasolutions.com/business-strategy/), vision, and market needs. Companies usually adopt one of the following models:

Branded house, Sub-brand, Endorsed, House of brands, or Hybrid.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_all-models.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_all_models_0e880e37b8.png)

The models can have significant competitive advantages. A 2016 study published in *Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science* found that sub-brand and branded house architectures deliver superior stock returns, and house of brands architecture is associated with lower firm-specific risk.<sup>2</sup>


# [Download our Brand Architecture Model Decision Tool](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_arch_at_a_glance_decision_tool_acd8c16ac1.pdf)


## Branded house architecture

In a branded house, the company itself is the brand, and all its products and services share one name and visual identity. Specific offerings might include a functional descriptor but are clearly defined as part of the parent brand.

Branded house architecture is recommended if a brand is being launched for the first time.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_branded-house.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_branded_house_5f484bd851.png)

**Branded house example: FedEx**

Each service is represented by the FedEx parent logo and appended with a functional descriptor. Although offerings are differentiated, the brand is clearly perceived as FedEx.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_fedex.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_fedex_8428038537.png)

**Branded house strengths and weaknesses**

**STRENGTHS**
- A branded house requires the least amount of financial investment and time because companies support one brand rather than many.
- A branded house enjoys cohesiveness and clarity while reducing confusion.
- A branded house builds awareness and customer loyalty by emphasizing a central brand promise instead of specific product features.

**WEAKNESSES**
- A branded house architecture makes it harder to expand into new markets or product categories unrelated to the core business.
- A bad experience with one part of the company can affect the entire organization. If one product or service fails, all of them can be negatively impacted.
- There’s less flexibility to market products or services independently or develop product-specific value propositions.

## Sub-brand architecture

Sub-brands append the master brand with a unique product or service name. They target a new market while maintaining a strong association with the master brand. Sub-brand names should be differentiating and ownable, not generic, so they aren’t co-opted by competitors.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_sub-brand.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_sub_brand_2a85aa66ee.png)

**Sub-brand example: Toyota**

The Toyota portfolio includes the Prius, Corolla, and Tacoma sub-brands. Each has close ties to the Toyota brand but markets to different categories and audiences.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_toyota.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_toyota_6369ca8d84.png)

**Sub-brand architecture strengths and weaknesses**

**STRENGTHS**
- Sub-brands provide flexibility for the parent brand to access niche markets or categories.
- Sub-brands can establish expectations, benefits, messaging, and personalities that are differentiated from the parent brand.
- Customers are more likely to try a brand’s other products or services if they trust the sub-brand.

**WEAKNESSES**
- Marketing separate sub-brands is costly and requires more investment and resources.
- Extending into markets or categories that aren’t a natural fit can tarnish the master brand.
- Positioning a brand across too many product or service categories can dilute brand equity and lessen its impact.

## Endorsed brand architecture
With endorsed brands, products or services have unique brand identities but leverage the parent brand’s equity through a discreet endorsement.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_endorsed.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_endorsed_fa8ec0e09b.png)

**Endorsed brand architecture example: 3M**

Scotchgard, Post-it, and Command are unique brands that apply an endorsement to maintain their association with the 3M parent brand.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_3m.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_3m_7fc821106a.png)

**Endorsed brand architecture strengths and weaknesses**

**STRENGTHS**
- Endorsed brands have more independence and can create their own identity and brand positioning.
- Endorsed brands can leverage the familiarity of the parent brand to establish credibility and trust.
- Product and service brands can compete in new markets without alienating the parent brand’s existing customers.

**WEAKNESSES**
- Each brand within the portfolio requires its own strategy, assets, and resources.
- Budgets will be spread thinly across multiple endorsed brands rather than the parent brand alone.
- A problem with an endorsed brand could negatively impact the larger brand portfolio.

## House of brands architecture

A house of brands consists of several independent brands with no perceived connection to the parent brand. Often, the parent brand is known only to the investment community rather than to consumers.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_house-of-brands.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_house_of_brands_02ec497188.png)

**House of brands example: Unilever**

Unilever has a house of brands architecture with over 400 independent brands. Dove, Axe, Hellman’s, Suave, Ben & Jerry’s, and Q-tips are all part of its portfolio, but the Unilever parent brand is practically invisible to consumers.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_unilever.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_unilever_c156e23731.png)

**House of brands architecture strengths and weaknesses**

**STRENGTHS**
- Brands have the freedom to target distinct market segments with specialized value propositions, such as product features and price points.
- In times of crisis, the negative impact on one portfolio brand is isolated from other portfolio brands and the parent company.
- The parent company can expand into new markets without risking credibility or alienating existing customers.

**WEAKNESSES**
- Building brand awareness takes significant investment and time.
- Positive associations of one brand won’t transfer to other brands — each brand needs to build its reputation individually.
- There are operational and legal complexities associated with owning multiple entities.

## Hybrid brand architecture

Many companies require a custom-tailored solution to meet specific business needs. It’s common to combine aspects of two or more models to form a hybrid. A “pure” branded house, sub-brand, endorsed, or house of brands model is somewhat rare.

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_hybrid.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_hybrid_c49e98a2d0.png)

**Hybrid brand architecture example: Amazon**

![brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_amazon.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_architecture_models_sustena_blog_amazon_f2febb157b.png)

Amazon combines aspects of several models to form a hybrid brand. Some products and services align with the master brand, while others remain independent or somewhere between.

**Hybrid brand architecture strengths and weaknesses**

**STRENGTHS**
- Companies have the flexibility to leverage the equity of the master brand or create entirely new brands when needed.
- Brands can target distinct market segments with specialized value propositions, such as product features and price points.
- Mergers and acquisitions are easier to integrate into the model.

**WEAKNESSES**
- The organization can appear disorganized and cause customer confusion.
- It’s costly to market and promote separate brands.
- Complexity will require more time and resources to manage. Each brand will need its own strategy, assets, and promotion.


# [Need help deciding on a Brand Architecture Model? Download our Decision Tool.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/brand_arch_at_a_glance_decision_tool_acd8c16ac1.pdf)


### Considerations for choosing a brand architecture model

How do you choose an effective model for your brand architecture? Consider the five models as a starting point, not the end goal, and adapt them to suit your unique business needs. Ask questions to identify factors that influence decisions:

- What is your long-term vision for the company?
- Do your products and services cater to similar customer segments with similar values?
- Will it be easy to tell one cohesive story that makes sense to audiences?
- Would consolidation compromise a brand’s market share or leadership position?
- Would changing the brand alienate existing customers? Will they accept or resist the change?
- Can your company support the financial investment and resources required to support multiple brands?

### Clarify brand architecture to improve your bottom line

[A well-implemented brand architecture](https://parivedasolutions.com/brand-development/brand-architecture/) can differentiate your offering, clarify relevance, and demonstrate how products and services are positioned to address specific customer needs. With a thoughtful approach, brand architecture can strengthen your brand portfolio, help drive growth, and increase your company’s bottom line.





![horizontal_line.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/horizontal_line_512c073a43.png)


**Notes**

*1. Aaker, D. A., Brand Portfolio Strategy: Creating Relevance, Differentiation, Energy, Leverage, and Clarity, New York: Free Press, p. 16 (2004).*

*2. Hsu, L., Fournier, S., and Srinivasan, S., “Brand architecture strategy and firm value: how leveraging, separating, and distancing the corporate brand affects risk and returns,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 44: 261–280 (2016).*

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Brand Architecture: Choosing the Best Model to Boost Business

### Companies can struggle to achieve the success they know is possible. They have great products or services and turn a profit but can’t seem to bring their business to the next stage of growth. What’s holding them back? It could be their brand.

*By Ryan Paul, Principal and Creative Director*

**How can you tell if it’s time to refresh your brand?**<br>Pay attention to these tell-tale symptoms. If your company is experiencing any of the following challenges, it might be time for an update.</br>

## 1. You ask 10 employees to describe your company and get 10 inconsistent answers
This could be a sign your company needs to work on its brand story and messaging. Employees might communicate what they know but not the full breadth of your company’s capabilities. You need to deliver a strong, focused brand narrative so audiences recognize the value of your entire enterprise and everything it encompasses.

## 2. You’ve outgrown your brand
Your current brand reflects where you were, not where you’re going. Over time, your business has evolved — you’ve shifted focus and expanded your offering. Your existing brand identity, while beloved by your organization, no longer stands for who you are and your future direction.

## 3. Your name is no longer relevant
Maybe you’ve merged with or acquired another company and your name needs to reflect the combined organization. Perhaps your brand name is tied to a legacy offering or a founder who left the company. Or maybe your name is an acronym that’s hard to remember. A new name can improve relevance and give you more room to grow.

## 4. There’s been a change to your business strategy
Perhaps leadership has established new business goals, or your company is looking to be acquired. A refresh can align the brand with its business strategy, signal change in the market, and build appeal among potential suitors.

## 5. Your business isn’t unique
If customers can’t tell the difference between you and your competitors, why would they choose your brand over theirs? When a brand blends in, it risks being overlooked. Differentiation is the key to standing out. Show the market that you’re special.

## 6. Diversification has created brand confusion
Growth and diversification have created a complicated jumble of names, products, services, and brand identities, confusing audiences. Simplifying your brand architecture and nomenclature can bring focus to your organization and enhance customers’ understanding of what you offer.

## 7. You don’t have the tools needed to support sales efforts
Your sales teams create their own materials rather than using existing messaging and assets. Using one-off sales tools might address immediate needs but not the company’s longterm goals. To support the vision and positioning of your brand, materials should follow a clear communications strategy.

## 8. You need to shed negative perceptions
A series of missteps has tarnished your brand image. Rebranding can signal a change in mission or values or that your company is forging a new path forward. This approach can be highly effective but be mindful — real change must first come from within. A cosmetic “reskin” can’t change a bad reputation or save a brand from poor products, services, or experiences.

## 9. Your identity does not translate well to digital environments
Your identity looks good on a business card, but it doesn’t flex to meet modern digital needs. A visual identity must work everywhere, from mobile screens to high-definition video to Times Square billboards. Refresh your visual brand to address legibility challenges and ensure it’s easy to use in any environment.

## 10. It’s hard to attract and hire top talent
Employees increasingly want to work for organizations whose values are aligned with their own. It’s possible that candidates don’t have a clear sense of your brand’s values or purpose. If talented people can’t glean insights into the company culture or what a brand stands for, they might seek employment elsewhere.

![horizontal_line.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/horizontal_line_512c073a43.png)

# Next steps to begin a rebrand
**If you think it’s time to rebrand, consider these steps:**

## Get buy-in from leadership
Branding is a strategic initiative that must come from the top down. Get your senior leaders on board first before you begin. They need to be fully aligned and willing to actively take part in the process.

## Assemble your internal team
Gather a focused team who owns the rebrand process and can dedicate thoughtful time to the project. Empower them with the authority to make brand decisions.

## Define your goals, budget, and timeline
Have a clear and realistic understanding of what your company is trying to achieve. Are you repositioning your existing brand? Are you creating a new brand? Allocate a budget and think about how soon you need the rebrand completed. Deadlines are helpful, too — is there a trade show in
the next 6-9 months where you might launch your updated brand?

## Find the right branding partner
Do your homework and find a firm that fits. When evaluating potential branding partners, consider the following:<br></br>
• Does their portfolio show how they solve complex branding problems and achieve results?  
• Is the firm’s experience relevant to your business needs?  
• Do they have a clearly defined and proven branding process? Are they able to communicate it clearly?  
• Are the firm’s priorities, values, and personality aligned with your own?  
• Does the partnership feel right during the evaluation process?  

## Preparation is the key to a successful rebranding effort. By following these steps and staying fully committed, you can build a brand that helps your company realize its fullest potential.

#### About Sustena
Sustena is a B2B brand development and go-to-market firm with a clear focus— to help portfolio companies of private equity firms rally their teams, engage their markets, improve their business value, and increase stakeholder returns. We help companies tell their story better—internally and externally—to provide significant business impact.

#### [Get in touch](https://sustenagroup.com/contact).  

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10 Signs That it’s Time for a Rebrand

<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/855475071?h=adde00ae9d&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Spotlight on the Visual Brand Process - Cadiz Case Study"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>
<br></br>
See Sustena in action from ideation to execution. The brand development process for Cadiz Inc., a water solutions innovator, begins with a compelling brand position and purpose and becomes a modern, revolutionary visual brand. Our approach relies heavily on research, design, and positioning to develop an impactful brand.
<br></br>
This video was shown during the [AWS Cloud Canvas Pop-up](https://sustenagroup.com/insights/pariveda-cloud-canvas-pop-up-at-the-aws-summit-new-york-2023-recap) hosted by Pariveda, which highlighted the intersection of art and technology.
<br></br>
[See more of our work](https://sustenagroup.com/work).



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Spotlight on Sustena's Visual Brand Process

<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/855493096?h=e9b8421032&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Pariveda 'Cloud Canvas' Pop-Up at the AWS Summit New York 2023 Recap"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>


<div id="cloud_para" style="margin-top: 10%">During the recent AWS New York Summit, Pariveda hosted our first Cloud Canvas event highlighting the intersection of art and technology. The event featured a collection of Pariveda's innovative solutions in data, machine learning, and modern applications built on Amazon Web Services (AWS). We also showcased Sustena's brand development process and work from several local artists: Rich Tu, Allison Walker, and Anthony R. LaSala.</div>


<div id="cloud2" style="margin-top: 5%">  We were energized by the engaging conversations sparked by the exhibition theme and look forward to continuing to explore these concepts in the work ahead. Look out for more Cloud Canvas Events in a city near you. </div>


<div id="cloud3" style="margin-top: 5%"> 
Interactive exhibits included:
<ul style="padding-left: 2rem">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0rem">Innovations in Customer Service with Amazon Connect</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0rem">Brand Craft: Spotlight on Sustena's Visual Brand Process</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0rem">Wellness Insights in Healthcare using Amazon HealthLake</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0rem">O﻿bservability Strategies with AWS Glue and Lake Formation</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0rem">Pariveda Omniscient: Foundational Capabilities for Computer Vision</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0rem">The Cloud Application Canvas: Application Modernization & Cost Optimization</li>
 </ul></div>

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Pariveda 'Cloud Canvas' Pop-Up at the AWS Summit New York 2023 Recap

We’re pleased to announce that Sustena, a Pariveda company, has received a 2022 Transform Award for the brand work developed for Xactus. Sustena won Bronze in the category of **Best Rebrand Following a Merger or Acquisition.**

![transform_sustena_winner_27Oct2022_2-08 (1).png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/transform_sustena_winner_27_Oct2022_2_08_1_328bb6abd3.png)

The Xactus executive leadership team put an enormous amount of trust in Sustena to both rename and rebrand their company, and it’s exciting to see our collective efforts recognized among our peers in branding.

**About the Transform Awards**

The eighth annual Transform Awards North America 2022 recognize best practice in corporate, product and global brand development work, with categories that focus on strategy, execution, content and evaluation.

Each entry was examined by a panel of expert judges who hailed from amongst the region’s top companies including Google, Hasbro, Liberty Latin America and Microsoft. The judges focused on creativity, innovation, strategic excellence and implementation when determining the best entries throughout each category.

The Transform Award is sponsored by Transform Magazine, the only global magazine to cover rebranding and brand development. [Learn more about the Transform Awards](https://www.transformmagazine.net/awards/north-america/).


[Read more about this project on our website here.](https://sustenagroup.com/work/xactus)


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Sustena Receives 2022 Transform Award

We’re pleased to announce that Sustena, a Pariveda company has received three [Summit Creative Awards](https://www.summitawards.com/) for our brand work for Bonsai, Convergency Partners, and SBI. Our work was selected out of more than 3400 submissions, across 19 countries. 

![Summit-Creative-Awards.png](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustenagroup.com/Summit_Creative_Awards_31c381ba8b.png)

In the **Complete Rebrand/Redesign** category, Sustena received both a silver for our work with [Bonsai](https://sustenagroup.com/work/bonsai) and a bronze for our work with [SBI](https://sustenagroup.com/work/sbi), and in the **Logo Redesign** category, the team was awarded a silver for our work with [Convergency Partners](https://sustenagroup.com/work/convergency-partners). 

Each solution reflects a well-crafted strategic response to client's unique business challenge. [Take a look at each project case study](https://sustenagroup.com/work) to learn more about how we help clients grow through brand-led transformation. 

**About the Awards**

The Summit Creative Awards recognize and celebrate the creative achievements of agencies worldwide with annual billings under $30 million. Celebrating its 28th year, the Summit Creative Award has firmly established itself as the premier arbiter of creative excellence for firms of this size and has become a coveted honor. 

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Sustena Receives Three 2022 Summit Creative Awards 

Brenna Garratt, Sustena CEO, shares some advice on the complexity of Roll-Ups and how to best utilize your seat at the table when creating a new business. 

<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/539734513?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Brenna&amp;#039;s advice for Roll-Ups.mp4"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>

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Brenna Garratt's Advice on Roll-Ups

Helping B2B brands find compelling ways to tell their story excites us and we relish in the opportunity to show clients that a healthy brand is a core component to building a strong balance sheet. 

But how do you quantify “strong brand = stronger balance sheet”? At a Sustena firm-level the answer is: “In the last 20 years, we have worked with 25+ PE firms - creating $4.8b of value for their portfolio companies.” Not convinced by that broad stroke statement? That is okay, we understand that, which is why we developed our go-to-market diagnostic tool, Accuiti. 

Accuiti measures your proficiency across 8 tenets of Brand, Sales, and Go-to-Market Execution. These tenets include questions related to Brand Consistency, Sales Approach and Process, and Go-to-Market planning. Over the next 8 weeks, we will be publishing installments of an Accuiti series introducing each tenet and explaining the challenges and impact surrounding them. We invite you to spend only a few minutes a week over the next two months to learn why your portfolio company should be part of our Sustena firm-level answer. 

If you’re anxious to learn more about Accuiti ahead of next week’s installment, please check out the Accuiti page linked [here](https://sustenagroup.com/accuiti) to explore how this tool can benefit your organization. 

<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/471380602?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Accuiti 2020"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>

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An Introduction

With nearly $650B assets under management, Blackstone sits atop the rapidly growing alternative investment industry. So what interest does the alternative investment mogul have in AdAge’s 2020 Creativity Awards Chief Strategy Officer of the Year, Jonny Bauer? According to an article from *Forbes*, Blackstone’s hiring of the former Droga5 Chief Strategy Officer is a commitment to “bring brand strategy more upstream as a part of the M&A process.” This strategic realignment from Blackstone highlights an interest to streamline value creation by addressing the rampant error that Bauer encapsulates as “A brand is a company’s reason for being, but is still too often an afterthought in the sequence of value creation.”

Blackstone’s global head of Private Equity, Joe Baratta, gives a glimpse of how this newfound commitment to brand may change Blackstone’s approach to acquisition and growth by stating, “The brand question is relevant for every single company we're buying, not just branded companies... it has to do with what [is the] company we’re buying today, and where do we want it to go. And brand is essential in defining where it’s going to go, what we want to mean to our customer base, and how we want to evolve the company.”

As Blackstone’s investment thesis is evolving to focus on more early and growth-stage ventures, they are showing strategic agility, committing resources to PE growth verticals that are historically under-leveraged, specifically brand development. 

Read more [here](https://www.forbes.com/sites/martyswant/2021/04/28/blackstone-hires-droga5-chief-strategy-officer-jonny-bauer-to-lead-a-new-branding-initiative/?sh=348fbb3e40e3) on how Blackstone plans to bring brand development to the forefront of Private Equity value creation. 


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Blackstone Hires Droga5 Chief Strategy Officer Jonny Bauer To Lead A New Brand Initiative

Bryan Jenkins, Vice President of Sustena, elaborates on the downstream effects of brand creation.

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Bryan Jenkins discusses Downstream Touchpoints

Where Mergers & Acquisitions create opportunities -- increased product offerings, market diversification, centralized process control -- they are counteracted by internal imbalances and the difficulties that accompany marrying brands together. As such, there must be a commitment to brand-building as part of all M&A deals.  

While “mergers” and “acquisitions” connote different legal meanings and outcomes, when not correctly executed these deals oftentimes create a similar sense of uncertainty for the organizations involved. In an aptly titled 2019 *Forbes* article [“Most Mergers Fail Because People Aren't Boxes”](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/06/24/most-mergers-fail-because-people-arent-boxes/?sh=5cb757335277) David Garrison lays out a number of M&A shortfalls, all of which boil down to misalignment. Simply put, where there is a lack of unified goals and expectations, there is a lack of harmony. And just as unharmonious teams cannot effectively work together, brands that lack an inspiring rallying point crumble as they fail to deliver. 

But let’s press pause. The before mentioned is framed in the negative - discussion of failure, imbalance, and incongruence. So why the dearth of negativity? It is, unfortunately, the harsh reality According to *Harvard Business Review*, between 70-90% of all mergers and acquisitions fail. But at the expense of sounding trite, just because it’s difficult, does not mean that it is impossible. Attention to brand health is an important part of all business transactions, but it is a necessity for successful M&As for the following reasons: 

**Brands are more than logos and websites (just as people are more than boxes).**
All too often, the importance of the brand is undermined in the M&A process, seen as simply another exchanged asset. More than logos and websites, brands are the culmination of the internal organization, offered as a promise to consumers. Without proper brand-building initiatives, a lack of internal unity begins to show itself publicly. The brand suffers, and your target customers begin to look for alternative products.

**Unification provides a compelling combined story to take to market and an inspiring flag for disparate internal teams to rally around.**
Brand unity breads brand consistency. Before convincing consumers that a new partnership is worthy of their business, brands must understand internally how the transaction, whether merged or acquired, better positions them to deliver on their value proposition. A compelling combined story not only asserts cohesion to the marketplace but also creates a rallying point for internal teams to center their efforts. 

**Addressing Brand Architecture confusion before it occurs allows for a more seamless transaction.** 
M&A creates the question “Well, what changes?” for consumers and employees alike. By prioritizing branding-building efforts as part of the M&A process, companies stay ahead of the curve. Internal teams are more aware of how their efforts will roll up to support the new (or continued) goal and consumers are not left wondering how the transaction will affect the involved brands.

Success in a complex environment like the M&A landscape requires attention to details that are oftentimes underleveraged by brands. In order for M&A to have an optimized effect, there must be a commitment to unity - all of which begins with a commitment to emerging from the deal with a cohesive and clear brand, capable of supporting internal functions and delivering on external promises. 

At Sustena we have helped developed 35+ new brands to date. By seeking our help and prioritizing brand-building as part of their M&A strategy, these companies make a commitment to their brands' success in the present and future. Read a little more about some of the M&A companies we have helped develop below. 

1. [Cadient](https://sustenagroup.com/work/cadient) Case Study
1. [Allbridge](https://sustenagroup.com/work/allbridge) Case Study
1. [Complia](https://sustenagroup.com/work/complia) Case Study 


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The Necessity of Branding after M&A

All too often at Sustena we see B2B brands mismanage the brand-building process. And while these displays of mismanagement usually occur at disparate ends of the spectrum, they have similar negative effects on brand health & development. At one end of this spectrum, brands under-leverage and undervalue the power of branding as it relates to storytelling and communicating their point of differentiation. The other end of this spectrum? Companies find themselves overly complacent with a brand that misrepresents their mission and product offerings, making it difficult for consumers to connect to the brand.

To simplify this range of mismanagement, you needn’t look any further than the value of naming for B2B brands. Brands that under-leverage brand building see the naming process as a nuisance, a distraction from the mission at hand: “It doesn’t matter what we call it, it matters what we deliver.” Conversely, overly complacent brands view the brand’s name as a point of differentiation in and of itself, assigning the name undue value. While this is not patently false (a name can be a company’s most valuable asset), the internal affinity and understanding for the name/brand must be easily perceived by the external consumer. If the consumer cannot connect to the name, the brand’s visibility is limited, consumers are confused, and growth is hindered.

To take this a step further, brand-building is a crucial part of B2B development & growth. To exist at either end of the above-mentioned spectrum, under-leveraging or overvaluing the naming process, is to stifle a brand from fully navigating the subjective and objective considerations which help develop a name that accurately supports the brand’s product strategy and effectively communicates a sense of understanding to consumers.

That is a lot to consider surrounding one “simple” brand choice. But rather than allowing name development to be something that is overwhelming and ignored, brands must remember that proper diligence and a pointed focus in the naming process allows for a name to emerge that is not only understood by consumers but also communicates brand value and encourages customer loyalty.

At Sustena we’ve helped dozens of B2B portfolio companies navigate this naming process. From naming new ventures to renaming legacy companies, we’ve seen it all - our own Sustena brand included! Have questions about how to maneuver this naming process for one of your portfolio companies? [Reach out to us](https://sustenagroup.com/contact). We’ve navigated these waters many times before.


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The Value of Naming for B2B Brands

As one of Sustena’s biggest areas of focus at the moment, Bryan Jenkins, Vice President of Sustena, speaks about his experience with Roll-Ups while offering some key advice: Start early!

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Bryan Jenkins' advice on Roll-Ups

There are times when it makes sense for a specific part of a company to become its own entity. When this occurs, PE firms execute a Carve-Out strategy. Both a challenging and effective solution, this initiative is complex and involves the creation and migration of countless components and data points. Brenna Garratt and Bryan Jenkins (along with the team at the RightStar Alliance) sat down to share their knowledge around the topic and offered advice on how to ensure success.

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Brenna Garratt on Corporate Carve-Outs

A common strategy that PE firms execute to create greater value for their businesses and investors is to bring two or more complementary portfolio companies together. Successfully executing a Roll-Up is to have command of and partners to help with the many moving parts need to happen both quickly and with stellar quality. Brenna Garratt and Bryan Jenkins in this clip from the RightStar Alliance interview at the SBI Studio discuss where they specialize and how the combined groups add essential value to both the PE firm and the newly combined business. Brenna Garratt also shares how rolling-up three known companies is easier to do than a Platform-Play where some of the Add-on companies are not yet known.

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Brenna & Bryan on Roll-Ups

In the world of technology, an industry focused on continuous change and improvement, the biggest challenge for B2B tech brands is consistency. While this may seem paradoxical, Aanandita Bhatnagar highlights this need for consistency in her article “[The Rise of the B2B Tech Brand](https://www.dqindia.com/the-rise-of-b2b-tech-brand/)”.

As B2B consumers are becoming increasingly autonomous, B2B tech brands must cut through the omnipresent clutter that lingers in the technology space to communicate a unified and authentic brand image. Read Bhatnagar’s article linked below to learn more about her three-step process for building a consistent B2B tech brand that encourages trust and loyalty from consumers. 

Find more from Bhatnagar [here](https://www.dqindia.com/the-rise-of-b2b-tech-brand/).


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The Rise of the B2B Tech Brand

According to *Business Insider*, the average private equity firm evaluates 80 opportunities before investing in one. This means that your brand needs to stand out amongst 79 competitors to source a single private equity deal. 

Think of this process as a recruiter evaluating resumes for a position at their company and your brand is a vital part of your application for that position. Sure, your underlying vision and offerings might be solid, but if your brand cannot communicate your point of differentiation in this hypothetical application process, your application will be met with the ever so dreaded, “Thank you for your application, but…”

In the same way that strong brands entice end consumers to purchase products or services, they also have the ability to attract investors who believe in the viability of the brand. So, if you are in the pool of 80 looking to be the 1, it is imperative that your brand is succinctly articulating your business’ value proposition. Private equity analysts see unique products and businesses every day. As these analysts are sorting through the stack of 80, they are often less worried about how your brand came to exist, and are simply concerned with why they should invest in your brand instead of the other 79. 

Make no mistake about it, private equity dealmakers invest in your business based on the prospective financial return, not simply well-constructed messaging or well-developed brand consistency. But your brand must paint the mosaic that articulates this opportunity. What are you going to do to position your brand to source highly competitive PE deals?


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Brand Strength - Its Effect on PE Deal Sourcing

A slow business cycle does not have to mean an unproductive one. It is in slow times that the best companies focus attention internally to evaluate and strengthen key parts of their business, including their brand. A slower cycle provides breathing room to ask: how could we tell a more engaging story around our value to customers? 

An effective place to start this exercise is by evaluating your brand positioning and core messaging. Keep it simple - break through the clutter. No matter how complex or innovative a brand is, the point of differentiation should be concisely articulated. All too often, brands dilute their core message & brand mission with over-used industry jargon. A good test of clear messaging is to ask yourself if a typical prospect could easily repeat your 3-5 most important differentiators to their colleagues after meeting with you. If they can’t, there is still work to be done in simplifying the story of what your company does and the value you provide. 

Once you have aligned on your value proposition, how does this story get expressed visually? What graphics, images, or designs will aid the storytelling and accentuate the key points to your audience? Once you’ve established a solid foundation of positioning and strategic visuals, you can begin evaluating downstream parts of your brand such as your sales and marketing tools, industry positioning, and your digital presence. 

By sharpening your brand, you are preparing your business to take full advantage of the upswing in business when it comes, but also creating greater ‘stickiness’ with clients by telling a deeper, more engaging story around your value. 


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The Power of Branding During Slow Times

While brand development is not necessarily formulaic (branding sits somewhere between art and science) the majority of what we discuss here at Sustena can be categorized as “rational”. However, David Dodd's article ["Understanding the 'Non-Rational' Dimensions of B2B Buying"](https://customerthink.com/understanding-the-non-rational-dimensions-of-b2b-buying/) reinforces the antithesis which we know to be true - not all business decisions are linear or rational. Dodd introduces the idea of “heuristics” which he describes as “rules of thumb that humans use to simplify decision making.” Heuristics can be helpful in the short term but can create cognitive biases that hinder long-term growth. Which of the 6 heuristics that Dodd introduces is hindering your brand’s growth the most? 

Read more from Dodd [here](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gdaviddodd/). 



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Understanding the “Non-Rational” Dimensions of B2B Buying

How much time do you spend thinking about the brands you interact with on a daily basis? All of these brands possess a quality or strength that draws you to them (convenience, habit, mission, etc.) Whether those brands have existed for 100 years or 100 days, that strength that draws you to them was cultivated somewhere. So how did these brands grow from an idea to become a part of our daily lives and our consumer subconscious? Did they grow from a catchy name or an eye-popping logo? Maybe an unshakeable tagline or flamboyant color scheme? Perhaps they built the most beautiful website the world has ever seen. And while all of the previously mentioned components are exciting (and admittedly can have a great effect on the growth of a brand), they are only a compliment to a strong brand’s strategic foundation. 

Before we can build great brands, we must first be able to articulate what our promise to our consumers will be. B2B consumers will not put their trust in your brand because your website has slick interactive functionality, they will come to you for one reason above all else - to solve problems. This means that before diving head-first into the world of logo creation and web development, you must first be certain of your brand’s strategic foundation, i.e. what your underlying promise is to your consumers. 

You should first be able to articulate how your brand will make work more efficient and predictable, this will help ensure your brand’s ability to make consumers “confident and less anxious.” <a href="https://www.prophet.com/2018/06/b2b-branding-why-you-need-it-more-than-ever/" target="_blank">(Fleming, 2018)</a> Your brand’s strategic foundation must articulate your point of differentiation because customers are not coming to you simply “to buy products, but for help solving problems.” (Fleming, 2018) The compliments (logos, web design, etc.) are unlikely to solve any tough problems for your consumers.

Start first by concisely articulating your distinct value proposition. This should speak directly to your client’s needs while also defining the before mentioned point of differentiation. Avoid long prose and excessive comparison to your competition - focus on the concise nature of this exercise. Answer simply - 1.) What does your product or service accomplish? 2.) What is your promise to customers?

The excitement of sharing your brand with the world can make these early steps seem tedious (trust us, we’re excited to help you share your story!), but serious thought and deliberation spent defining your strategic foundation will pay dividends down the line when you are finally ready to develop a clean looking logo or a fresh new website.

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Press Pause on your Public Image

Anchovies and B2B brand building? What could possibly be the connection between the salty canned forage fish and B2B companies? David Dodd marries these seemingly disparate items with great tact in his article, “[What Brand Marketing and Anchovies Have in Common](https://b2bmarketingdirections.blogspot.com/2020/09/what-brand-marketing-and-anchovies-have.html)”.

Dodd analogizes a common amateur chef mistake, foregoing anchovies while following a recipe - a mistake that alters the taste and texture, leaving the final dish wanting - to the effects of overlooking B2B brand building, as it relates to long term growth and revenue generation. Just as anchovies can prove vital to the taste and texture of a final dish, B2B brand-building is the ingredient that makes marketing materials "tasty" and leaves clients and prospects alike coming back for more. 

Find more from Dodd [here](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gdaviddodd/).


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What Brand Marketing and Anchovies Have in Common

For most companies, its single most valuable asset is its brand. So why is it that companies often overlook the power of branding and the brand development process? In a *Forbes* interview with David Kincaid, author of ['The Brand-Driven CEO: Embedding Brand into Business Strategy'](https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultalbot/2020/09/26/the-brand-driven-ceo/?sh=1e75d2f71584), Kincaid details the negative cascade of misalignment and mismanagement that flows from the C-suite when leadership fails to recognize that “business strategy and brand are the same thing.”

At Sustena we have developed a diagnostic tool called [Accuiti ](https://sustenagroup.com/accuiti) that measures executive alignment around the performance of Brand, Sales, and Marketing, providing insight into the most elusive drivers for growth. 

Interested in aligning your brand and business strategy? [Reach out to us for a tour of Accuiti today.](https://sustenagroup.com/contact)

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The Brand Driven CEO

Building a succinct brand/culture connection for your organization can be difficult, but the most successful brands match their internal organizational goals with their external brand identities. What this means in the context of brand building is that you first must clearly define your brand identity in order to match your cultural core values to that identity. By pairing your external identity with your internal values, you ensure that “your employees are more likely to make decisions and take actions that deliver on your brand promise.” (Yohn, 2019) 

In her article [“Build a Culture to Match Your Brand"](https://hbr.org/2019/12/build-a-culture-to-match-your-brand), Denise Lee Yohn simplifies the brand identity process by identifying what she believes to be the nine brand types. She then goes on to identify certain core values that correspond with the higher-level brand types. Which of the nine company brand types does your organization fall under? 

Read more [here ](https://hbr.org/2019/12/build-a-culture-to-match-your-brand)to find out. 

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Build a Culture to Match Your Brand 

There is a common misconception that B2B branding and marketing are completely rational, and while B2B organizations are often more rational than B2C consumers, there is a human element to all B2B decisions. The effect of this humanness (which we see in ourselves every day) is that human psychology and behavioral economics have an immense impact on B2B decisions. 

David Dodd does an excellent job of condensing the effects of psychology on B2B branding into three points in his article, ["Why Human Psychology Still Matters in B2B Marketing"](http://b2bmarketingdirections.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-human-psychology-still-matters-in.html): 1.) B2B marketing is, in practice, not inherently rational. 2.) Fear of negligible negative quantifiable impact limits marketing-growth-potential (fear of blame). 3.) Rational marketing, i.e. a traditionalist view of economic theory, lacks important insights into behavioral science leaving you flatfooted in dynamic sales markets. 

Find more from Mr. Dodd [here](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gdaviddodd/). 










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Why Human Psychology Still Matters in B2B Marketing

Branding and marketing professionals are tasked with communicating a brand’s value and point of differentiation, in turn creating a compelling story for consumers. These stories are a critical part of driving brand growth and increasing revenue. And while most marketing professionals got into the business because they believe in the before mentioned power of storytelling, it is understood that marketing must drive the aft mentioned revenue growth to garner value within an organization. In the *LLR Partners* article “[The Role of Marketing in Customer Success: Protect, Grow and Leverage Your Base](https://www.llrpartners.com/growth-bit/role-of-marketing-in-customer-success-protect-grow-and-leverage-your-base/?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021-04-growthbits-marketing-and-customer-success&mkt_tok=MTA5LVNBTi0yMjMAAAF8RxpOao6QDYSN2BZvuK2DoyRGnDH0X__aoBOe9cSFCIOhBcRPY9fv1KSr7S24BazqeMR7FmjgGFSrZP--pX3AQJYJYxxlFKYeX5lsZbdQwA)”, Eric Masters outlines a three-step process by which marketers can drive revenue by protecting, growing, and leveraging existing client relationships. Where marketing storytelling may fall flat with prospects, there are existing clients who loved the first version of the story and need to hear it again.

Find more from Masters [here](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmasters1/) about how to properly protect, grow, and leverage existing client relationships.


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The Role of Marketing in Customer Success

Brands are a public statement of an organization’s commitment to consumers. And while we often speak to things that are inherently brand-centric -- value proposition, brand consistency, naming -- it is important to remember that a brand is a reflection of an organization in its entirety. In an increasingly interconnected world, brands must be cognizant of how far-reaching internal functions roll up to affect a brand’s image. In his article “[Time to include Encryption as part of a Broader Data Protection Strategy](https://www.dqindia.com/time-to-include-encryption-as-part-of-a-broader-data-protection-strategy/)”,  Rahul Kumar outlines the growing importance of consumer data protection and its effect on brand reputation. 

At Sustena, we have worked with many tech-enabled businesses to highlight their commitment to data protection as part of a unified brand. Find our eOriginal case study [here](https://sustenagroup.com/work/eoriginal) to learn how we helped the digital lending pioneer incorporate data protection into their brand, helping consumers to “Trust the Asset. Trust the Transaction.” 
