Hi, there. 

I’m excited to welcome you to CODO’s 2025 Beer Branding Trends summer series: 

Acquired: Your Branding Playbook for Craft Beer M&A

This time around, we’re going to give you a full run down on everything we’re seeing and hearing in our work helping our 90+ brewery clients navigate Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) from a branding perspective. 

It seems like every day, a new craft on craft acquisition is announced. A larger brand buys a smaller one, or vice versa. Or a production-focused outfit merges with a hospitality-focused group. Or someone acquires a cool Legacy IP brand. Or a brewery will sell off a brand to an investment group. 

We've worked on about a dozen of these projects — acquisitions ranging from a few hundred thousand to several million dollars — and have seen them come in all shapes and sizes.

We're going to focus on the buyer side of this equation because you have a lot to work through leading up to, during and after the acquisition.

It's been a fun challenge to weigh in on how to treat these brands post-acquisition and answer a handful of hard, extraordinarily important questions. Why? Because if you get the branding integration wrong, and you risk losing the very customers and Brand Equity you paid for in the first place.

If you're planning to acquire another business, the branding decisions you make in the next 90 days will determine whether your deal succeeds or becomes a cautionary tale.

– How do we announce this move? 

– Do we need to rebrand the acquisition? 

– What do we do if we only want to retain a few of the acquired brand's beers? 

– Do we need to form a hospitality group (with a public-facing brand identity)?

– What do we do with existing acquisition brand co-branding relationships?

– Should we merge our email lists? 

– How should our overall Brand Architecture take shape? 

– How can we retain loyal fans through this transition?

To explore this, we’ve got 3 BBT issues with companion podcasts for you. Here’s a rundown: 

Issue 1: (September 9)

M&A Mania: Why Craft Beer Acquisitions Are Everywhere Right Now 

A look at the forces driving the current wave of craft beer acquisitions (and what this means for you)

Issue 2: (September 23)

So You Bought a Brewery. Now What?

A practical guide to integrating brands, protecting IP and keeping your customers on board

Issue 3: (October 7)

Working Through Real Branding Challenges from the Front Lines of Brewery M&A

Real-world challenges from the front lines of brewery M&A — and how to navigate brand and integration decisions during and after an acquisition.

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If you're reading this, then you don't have to do anything to receive the rest of the series — you're all set. But if there's someone on your team, or a colleague at another brewery you think might benefit from reading along, please have them subscribe here.

Issue 1 drops next week. 

See you then.

– Isaac