Soapbox: Digital assets should be the primary driver of brand consolidation strategy

When two or more companies consolidate, merge or become acquired, it’s a business decision. But, after that decision is made, how the merger or acquisition is handled from a marketing standpoint should be determined by the digital content of each company, not from non-marketing C-suite executives with opinions based on guesses, not data. The penalties for ignoring digital content – company websites, social accounts, content pieces and technology, among other things – can be disastrous.

When it comes time to develop a brand consolidation strategy, the companies’ websites should be the first digital component to be analyzed. After all, long-term SEO value likely took years to achieve, and it doesn’t always make sense to immediately scrap existing websites in favor of one, single brand website. Sometimes simple redirects can work to retain value from an old website, but not always.

In some industries, a company’s social media accounts may be the most valuable digital asset. If attempting to consolidate into a single brand, know it will take time for value transfer from the old accounts or the old website to the new ones. As such, even if the plan is to shut down accounts, it shouldn’t happen overnight.

By taking a deep dive into companies’ SEO value, social media value, digital content assets and technology integrations, marketing leaders can create a brand consolidation strategy that’s unique to the companies involved. There is no one-size-fits-all merger/consolidation solution. But there is one truth that exists in any scenario: digital assets unlock the best path forward.

Soapbox is a special feature for marketers in our community to share their observations and opinions about our industry. You can submit your own here.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Dustin Clark

Dustin Clark serves as the Digital Marketing Director at Element Three, an award-winning marketing consultancy in Indianapolis. Dustin leads holistic marketing strategy for clients, working with numerous Fortune 500 companies in industries ranging from technology and SaaS to manufacturing. He brings an extensive background in online marketing, web analytics, digital advertising, and search engine optimization. Before joining Element Three, Dustin was a senior consultant at Relevance, where he specialized in online research and content marketing strategy for a nationwide portfolio of clients. Previously, he managed content and functionality for more than 20 websites as an e-commerce product manager.