How to Map Out an M&A Brand Strategy Here's a three-step approach to keeping your brand story straight and your customers in your camp through a roll up.

Q: I'm considering acquiring a company that has some overlap with mine. What's the best way to roll up the two brands?

A: Before we get into the meat of things, some definitions (just in case there are any kids in the crowd who think brand equals logo). "Brand is really the DNA that defines your company," says Jim Moran, founder and managing partner of Co-Op, a New York City-based branding firm that is a partner of Havas Worldwide's branding and design division, Havas Design+. "Branding is about storytelling. It's about bringing the DNA to life and creating perceptions." And a brand plan is not the same thing as a marketing plan.

During a merger or acquisition, it's important to keep your company's story from getting muddled. A brand-planning strand needs to run straight through the process.