Concord Rise

M&A transformation and brand portfolio architecture for a full-cycle agricultural distribution company in Ukraine. Repositioning an experienced player and merging two business cultures.

Context and challenge

The CONCORD RISE story began where two very different business cultures met. On one side was TENNESSEE — a young, ambitious company that was scaling its used agricultural machinery business fast. It needed more capacity, new repair workshops and space to grow.

On the other side was KONKORD: 30 years in the market, a former leader and respected expert, but by then in deep decline and losing ground. When TENNESSEE acquired KONKORD, management faced a serious positioning challenge — both in the market and inside the company.

The main dilemma was which way to go. Keep the old brand, with its long but fading reputation? Or keep the young TENNESSEE name, associated mostly with second-hand machinery? Just as critical was aligning two opposite teams: the conservative “old school” and the proactive innovators. The new company could not stay in either of the old formats without a new positioning and brand strategy.

Express audit and diagnosis of the chaos
— Audited the existing brand touchpoints of both companies.
— Uncovered the internal pain points, gaps in meaning and conflicts in how the market saw the two companies.
— Ran strategy sessions with the owner and CEO to take apart the business models of the merging assets.

‍Strategic consulting and M&A architecture
— Analysed the context and tested the leaders’ business ambitions for the merger.
— Weighed alternative scenarios for consolidating the assets and structuring the brand portfolio.
— Chose one promising direction together and recorded the target vision.
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Transformation

The strategic stage began with an in-depth audit of both brands’ assets and a model of the future business. The company now combined several different lines of business, so our first task was a comprehensive branding strategy and a far-sighted brand portfolio architecture. The platform had to bring the existing services together and give the company a solid base for scaling and entering new niches.

We developed a new positioning that combines KONKORD’s experience with TENNESSEE’s drive. This is how the new name was born — CONCORD RISE. It keeps continuity with KONKORD’s 30-year legacy and expertise, and adds a strong impulse to grow and reach a new level (RISE). The name became an internal manifesto and a rallying point for the teams, uniting people around a shared goal: global leadership. We designed a coherent visual identity and a system of corporate communications that set the company clearly apart in the market and express its ambition to grow.

Results

The result was a completely renewed, unified and strong CONCORD RISE brand. A sound brand portfolio architecture let the company structure all its lines of business, end internal competition between products and open new ways to diversify. We developed a new positioning — “A full-cycle agricultural distribution company” — and the key message “Let’s grow together. Day by day.” Together with the new visual language, it turned communication with clients into a partnership.

Today CONCORD RISE is not just a new name on paper. It is a dynamic business that keeps growing and makes confident use of its brand. The new identity resolved the internal crisis of the merger: it bridged the gap between the two teams and turned them into one effective organisation with clear shared values. CONCORD RISE shows how rethinking a legacy, backed by precise strategic branding, can turn an acquisition into a market breakthrough.

Verbal identity: creating a voice
— Agreed on a new commercial name that marks the next stage of development — Concord Rise.
— Built a communication platform: a core manifesto, slogans and key messages for different audiences.
— Defined the Tone of Voice (ToV) with “do / don’t” rules for consistent copywriting.

‍Design engineering: giving it form
— Developed a visual system, a meaningful brand mark and custom lettering that reflect the dynamics and leadership of the renewed business.
— Defined a matrix of logo lock-ups for different colour schemes.
— Structured the brand portfolio and prepared the ground for an umbrella brand as departments scale.
— Designed a starter set of brand touchpoints.
— Packaged comprehensive guidelines for the in-house team to implement.
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Please note: this M&A case is presented in brief to show the overall context and the final results.

If you would like to see behind the scenes and the full scope of the brand strategy, send us a request. We will gladly walk you through the details in person and look at growth points and opportunities for your own brand.