Branding acquisitions
Winfried Daun
In 2006, there were 654 completed mergers and acquisitions worldwide with a target company market value above $1 bn, compared with 282 in 2003. To put this in context, there were in total around 2000 listed companies of this size at the beginning of 2006. The M&A boom is across all countries and all industry sectors. Much of the time, the new, larger company that is formed needs a new name. But all too often the crucial decision on the name itself, and the brand identity that is supposed to attach to it, is a consequence...