I think your reputation is your brand, especially in real estate. If people don’t think positive about your reputation, then you are in trouble.

So if you want to build a good personal brand work hard to build a good personal reputation.

With your experience with aquisitions and mergers do you typcially find that the resulting brand is a strengthening of the dominant one or do they strive to develop an entirley new brand experience for the combined customer base?

Do many take into consideration what effect the merger or acquisition will have on the overall corporate brand? Many times I’ve noticed it is mostly a financial exercise and it’s a “let the chips fall” result for the brand , or an after thought if you will.

-NICE ARTICLE Krishna.

The personal brands of the visionaries of companies often times directly reflect the corporate brand. My view of Steve Jobs directly influeneces how I view Apple. Richard Branson and Virgin. Even small businesses I have experience with share this dynamic. Of course, this is not always the case, especially with multi-nationals. But personal brands throughout the corporate structure are important to growing the brand overall. Any employee wanting to move up, must distinguish themselves to be remarkable in some way.

I’ve never really used the term “employer” brand. It certainly fits the situation. I incorporate it’s characteristics in my overall development of the corporate brand strategy.

If a company has it’s brand act together and it’s visionary’s brand is desireable as well, and all the stakeholders are on-brand then you’re probably the poster child of a strong brand.

I am a big believer in positioning, branding, and identity. I see so many companies that don’t choose a position or if they do they don’t tell anyone about it. I think they are afraid that they will fail to deliver and they would rather not be embarrassed. I say if we are not failing on occasion then we must not be trying hard enough. I think it better to stand-up and declare your position and then deliver. Why wait for people to discover you? As Krishna said, you already have a brand. Now go define it instead of letting it be defined by others.

I couldn’t agree more. The way a CEO acts is the company’s reputation, and ultimately forms the internal company culture.

My perspective is from a different viewpoint. I’m a consultant that integrates companies after a merger or acquisition is announced. It is interesting to read your article and see how interoperable our views are.

The hardest part of integrating companies, is dealing with company cultural change. In the first instance you have two CEO’s that have inflicted their own personality style on the senior executives, who have then passed it down to their staff.

The most productive way I’ve found to change this is to get the new CEO to appoint people who have the best “attitude” for the new executive or management role. The emphasis that this projects to employees, and more importantly customers will inturn shapes the new culture of the company. Believe it or not, the best people are usually not the most qualified academically, however, they have the desire and attitude to make sure the new brand is projected successfully and the merger works.

With the new executive team in place, not only will the newly merged companies be in a strong position to conquer their industry, they will also be in an excellent position to look after the companies brand and project a strong image to customers and prospects.

Tim Stuchbery
http://woodstock.50webs.org/