Brand Strategy
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Tim Hillegonds
3 Common Brand Architecture Models
Mergers and acquisitions often force tough brand decisions. Choosing the right architecture—Endorsed, Branded House, or Sub-Brands—depends on where equity lives and how much independence acquired brands should retain. Asking the right questions early makes every future campaign easier.
Mergers and acquisitions bring brand complexity. Sometimes an acquired brand should fold seamlessly into an existing structure. Other times, the acquisition forces a rethink of the architecture entirely.
When that happens, three models we often recommend are Endorsed Brands, Branded House, and Sub-Brands. You’ll also hear terms like House of Brands or Hybrid, which can be useful in certain situations, but these three are the most common starting points.
Endorsed Brands
In an Endorsed model, the master brand sits in the background, lending credibility while sub-brands maintain their own equity.
Example: 3M. Post-it and Scotch each have strong standalone identities, but their association with 3M reinforces trust and recognition.
Use when: acquired brands have existing awareness or equity you want to preserve, but you still want them tethered to the parent.
Branded House
Here, the master brand is dominant. Business units share the parent brand’s identity and equity, while differentiation happens at the business-unit level.
Example: GE. Whether it’s aviation or healthcare, it’s always GE first. Equity lives almost entirely in the parent.
Use when: you want to concentrate brand strength in one name and signal unified expertise across multiple sectors.
Sub-Brands
Sub-brands operate under the master brand umbrella but carry distinct identities tied to the parent’s mission and design system.
Example: Amazon. Kindle, Prime, and Alexa each stand on their own, but all clearly connect back to Amazon through shared visual cues and brand purpose.
Use when: you want to extend into new markets or categories while keeping sub-brands aligned to a central promise.
Ask the Right Questions
The right brand model depends on your strategy. Before making a decision, ask:
Where does equity live today—parent brand, acquired brand, or both?
How much independence should the acquired brand retain?
What’s the long-term growth strategy: integration, expansion, or diversification?
How will the architecture impact customers, employees, and investors?
Getting architecture right at the outset makes future acquisitions and campaigns far easier. Getting it wrong can create years of confusion.
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