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Momentum through alignment
The missing multiple
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Getting culture right makes acquirers 70 % 97 % Roll-ups need more than integration – they need reinvention. A compelling NewCo brand gives the combined entity a new name, identity and ambition. It replaces fragmentation with focus and signals a bold new chapter. A strong new brand doesn’t just stitch logos together; it defines a new future. It is the signal of strategic intent, unifying disparate cultures, acting as the catalyst to accelerate to a new destination. Brandpie worked with Astorg and the NewCo leadership to launch Nexpring within 100 days of closing the deal. A bold move that signalled clarity and intent from day one. “Don’t wait until everything is perfect. Starting brand work early accelerates alignment and unlocks long-term value,” Lieven comments.
First 100 days: Accelerating clarity
more likely to meet or exceed cost synergies and up to 70% more likely to meet or exceed revenue synergies in buy-and-build integrations. (McKinsey, 2025)
In the post-close scramble, brand is your fastest alignment tool.
of highly engaged employees who feel like owners expect to stay for a year, vs 47% without ownership sentiment, based on eight KKR portfolio companies. (KKR, Apr 2024)
Post-deal priorities are typically aligning processes, integrating organizations and reassuring customers. Brand is critical during this phase, especially in complex carve-outs and buy-and-build platforms. In these scenarios, misalignment erodes projected synergies. Early alignment protects value. A clear vision and brand narrative aligns leadership, unites employees and reassures customers by signalling a confident new direction to the market. Clarity reduces integration drag and accelerates traction. Brand creates cohesion where confusion risks taking root. It’s not about a new logo; it’s about giving the business a shared sense of vision and ambition. In the first 100 days, brand acts as an accelerant that aligns people and priorities fast.
Why? Because leaders who can articulate a clear compelling vision and brand positioning in the market project clarity and confidence, instead of confusion and uncertainty. Employees are asking, “Who are we now?”, “Where are we going?”. Customers are asking, "Who are you now?", "What does this mean for my business?", "Do I have continuity and where does this add value?" – a clear vision and brand positioning answers those questions, focusing stakeholders on the future and the value the deal delivers. Don’t wait even if it feels risky Conventional wisdom might say to hold off thinking about brand until after you’ve handled operational fixes. But many investors counter that early action sets the vision that guides those other changes. Aligning vision, brand and culture reduces friction and focuses the organization on the customer and external market dynamics.
You need to do it early to get the full value. We repositioned a fragmented portfolio into a market leader by shaping a new brand vision.
Olivier Lieven, Partner, Astorg
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