LAURA CHILD
Head of Research and Strategy, Ramarketing, United Kingdom

Brand reputation is everything to a business. Your brand is what everyone thinks when they hear your business name. It’s not only what they think, but also how they feel and, perhaps most importantly, what they do in reaction to your name and everything it embodies. Brand reputation is sacred, and a business’s actions must constantly strive to protect, enhance and develop it in line with a company’s ethos and core values. There are many internal and external factors that can influence and impact upon a brand, which must remain consistent and authentic to truly be, and remain, successful. One of those factors is the role a merger and acquisition (M&A) can play in brand reputation and the effect it can have on a company’s brand.

M&As are not new to the life sciences industry. In fact, some companies focus their entire business strategy on the preposition of buying a company to acquire new capabilities rather than building out from their existing business. Indeed, 2021 has proven to be a busy year when it comes to consolidation in the Clinical Research Organisation (CRO) industry. For example, ICON plc acquired PRA Health Sciences, Inc., Veris ...