The different types of brand architecture and how to choose the right one for your business
Brand architecture isn’t just a fancy marketing term—it’s what keeps a company’s brand portfolio from turning into a confusing mess. Think of it as your brand’s blueprint, defining how all your products and services connect. When done right, it ensures everything works together seamlessly.
The right architecture shapes your marketing, communication, and long-term growth. It makes it easier to explain your brand portfolio to customers, stakeholders, and even your own team. Let’s be honest—if you’re confused about how everything fits together, your audience will be too.
Why brand architecture matters
For companies managing multiple brands, products, or services, brand architecture creates a clear structure that builds trust, simplifies choices, and fuels growth. In B2B, where buyers prioritize credibility and long-term value, having a well-organized brand portfolio is critical.
Here are key reasons why brand architecture matters for B2B companies:
Creates clarity and makes buying decisions easier
Ever landed on a company’s website and struggled to figure out what product or service is right for you? That can be a sign of poor brand architecture. A well-structured brand hierarchy ensures customers quickly grasp how products and services fit together. In B2B, where buying decisions are already complex, clarity makes a huge difference.
B2B buyers are already juggling a million things, so they won’t waste their time figuring out which product best fits their needs. A clear brand hierarchy makes it simple for customers to navigate offerings, compare options, and make decisions faster. And when you make their lives easier, you’re more likely to win the deal.
Keeps marketing and sales on the same page
Marketing is building awareness, sales is closing deals—but if their messaging doesn’t align, it’s a big problem. Much like how a capabilities deck is helpful for professional service firms, brand architecture is a high level strategy ensuring that everything, from website copy to sales presentations, follows consistent positioning. This is especially important in B2B, where you’re selling to multiple decision-makers who all need a clear, unified story.
Strengthens brand equity and growth
Launching a new product or expanding into a new market? A strong master brand can make the process a whole lot smoother. Instead of starting from scratch, companies can leverage the trust they’ve already built. At the same time, sub-brands give flexibility to tailor messaging for different industries or use cases.
Prevents brand cannibalization
Without clear brand architecture, your own products can compete against each other, confusing customers and complicating sales efforts. A strategic structure defines distinct roles for each brand, eliminating overlap and reinforces positioning.
The 5 types of brand architecture and when you should use them
Depending on size, industry, and long-term goals, companies structure their brands differently. Some keep everything under one big name, while others let individual brands do their own thing. The trick is knowing which model is the right fit for your business.
- Branded House: One strong brand with multiple products under it. Perfect for companies that want everything under one trusted name.
- House of Brands: Separate brands with no visible connection. Ideal for companies with diverse products that need individual branding.
- Hybrid Brand: A mix of models—some brands stay connected, others stand alone. The sweet spot for large companies with some brands tied to the parent and others independent.
- Endorsed Brand: Independent brands backed by the parent for credibility. For those who want flexibility and credibility without full independence.
- Sub-Brand: A distinct brand that still carries the parent name. Great for targeting new markets while maintaining the core brand’s recognition.
Branded House
A Branded House keeps everything under one powerful, unified brand. It’s all about consistency—same name, same identity, same reputation. The benefit? Everything you offer feels connected, and your customers trust that consistency. Sub-brands may exist, but they’re closely tied to the master brand, both visually and strategically.
Take Google, for example. The Google name is front and center across everything they do—from Google Search to Google Maps, Google Drive, and Google Photos. No matter the product, it’s all part of the Google family, which creates a strong, cohesive brand experience.
In the B2B world, HubSpot is a great example. Rather than creating distinct brands for each product, HubSpot uses the same brand across its entire suite—HubSpot CRM, Marketing Hub, and Sales Hub. This approach builds brand equity around the HubSpot name, making the experience feel seamless. It fosters trust and ensures everything works together smoothly, encouraging users to stick with and expand within the platform.
Who’s it for:
This model is ideal for B2B companies that need a strong, unified brand across a wide range of products or services. It’s especially great for market leaders or businesses that want to build brand recognition quickly and efficiently, without complicating things. If your company’s offerings are closely related and you want to drive trust and recognition through one name, a Branded House is your go-to.
Why it works:
A unified brand makes marketing simpler and more efficient. Everything shares the same identity, and messaging stays consistent, which strengthens trust and brand recognition over time. Plus, with one brand driving credibility, new products are naturally linked to the parent, making expansion smoother.
The downsides:
While a Branded House streamlines marketing and strengthens brand equity, it comes with trade-offs. The biggest risk? If the main brand takes a hit, everything under it suffers. Expanding too broadly can weaken brand identity, and trying to appeal to too many markets with one voice may feel forced. Plus, acquired brands could lose their original recognition if they’re blended in too quickly.
How it may impact marketing strategies:
- Website: Consolidate offerings into a single site with intuitive navigation (e.g., dedicated sections for “Products” or “Solutions”).
- Social media: One corporate account across social platforms, sharing content relevant to all products and services.
- Messaging: Focus on the big-picture brand story rather than individual products. Content aligns under one mission and value proposition.
- SEO & Content: Centralize all content under one domain, using blog posts and case studies to engage a broad audience.
House of Brands
A House of Brands is all about owning multiple brands, each with its own identity, target audience, and marketing approach. Unlike a Branded House, where everything falls under one umbrella, a House of Brands lets each brand operate independently while still tapping into the resources of the parent company. Think P&G, the company behind brands like Tide, Gillette, and Pantene. Each of these brands has its own identity and strategy. They don’t lean on P&G’s name to build recognition and serve distinct markets.
In the B2B world, Danaher is a prime example. With brands like Beckman Coulter and Leica Microsystems, it operates in sectors like life sciences and industrial tools, each brand standing strong on its own. Danaher’s strategy? Acquire brands that can thrive independently, with little connection to the parent company. That’s the core of a House of Brands—separate entities, united under one parent, but each with its own focus and direction.
Who’s it for:
A House of Brands is perfect for B2B companies that cater to different industries or customer segments with unique needs. If your company’s products or services require distinct messaging, positioning, and branding, this model will allow each brand to stand on its own. It’s also great for businesses that acquire established brands and want to preserve their individual identities and equity. If your company operates across various fields and needs to maintain flexibility, this is the model for you.
Why it works:
The beauty of a House of Brands is that each brand gets to target its own audience with messaging tailored to their specific needs. Since the brands don’t rely on the parent name, they can create their own identity without being tied to one overarching message. This means the parent company can expand its portfolio without worrying about diluting the value of its existing brands. Plus, if one brand hits a bump, it won’t impact the others—each operates independently, safeguarding the overall business.
The downsides:
While a House of Brands lets each brand do its own thing, it’s not without its headaches. Managing multiple independent brands means higher costs—each one needs its own strategy, content, and campaigns. Building brand recognition takes time, especially when there’s no powerhouse name driving it all. Plus, with so many brands going in different directions, keeping them aligned and avoiding overlap can be a real challenge. It takes a lot of coordination to make sure everything stays on track without stepping on each others’ toes.
How it may impact marketing strategies:
- Website: Each brand has its own website, tailored to its specific audience and industry (eg., Beckman Coulter for clinical diagnostics, Leica Microsystems for research and laboratories). The parent company may have a corporate site for investors and PR (eg., danaher.com).
- Social media: Separate accounts across social platforms for each brand to engage with its niche audience. Parent brand presence is minimal.
- Messaging: Each brand has a distinct value proposition, tone, and customer journey. Messaging is hyper-targeted to resonate with different industries and decision-makers.
- SEO & Content: Each brand focuses on its own B2B content strategy, creating blogs, whitepapers, and case studies tailored to its sector.
Hybrid
A Hybrid Brand Architecture is exactly what it sounds like—a blend of Branded House and House of Brands. Some products or services are tightly tied to the parent brand, while others run independently. It’s the sweet spot for companies that don’t quite fit into one model. This allows companies to use the parent brand’s credibility where it makes sense, while keeping acquired or niche brands separate.
The Coca-Cola Company is a great example. It combines the Branded House (Coca-Cola at the core) with a House of Brands (Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, etc.). The company has a strong, unified identity, but its sub-brands still operate independently.
In the B2B world, Salesforce follows a similar hybrid strategy. It keeps the core Salesforce brand for things like Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud, but also lets acquired companies like Tableau and Slack keep their distinct identities while providing an endorsement. This hybrid approach allows Salesforce to use its strong presence while catering to specialized needs with unique solutions.
Who’s it for:
Hybrid branding works for large B2B companies with a variety of products or services that need flexibility. Some brands benefit from the parent’s credibility, while others need their own space. This is a good strategy for businesses with a mix of in-house and acquired brands, especially when targeting different industries. If you want to keep the equity of an acquisition without forcing it under the main brand, or if you have a flagship product that needs its own identity, hybrid branding is the way to go. It’s common for companies that grow through acquisitions and need to maintain separate brand equity.
Why it works:
It gives companies the best of both worlds. The parent brand stays strong where it builds trust, while individual brands stand on their own when necessary. In B2B, some buyers want the reliability of an established name, while others prefer niche expertise. Hybrid branding keeps things adaptable, making it easier to scale and evolve. It’s perfect for complex portfolios that require varying degrees of independence.
The downsides:
Things can get complicated quickly. Too many brands, unclear connections, and inconsistent messaging can confuse customers. Balancing unified branding with independent sub-brands can lead to marketing headaches. If not managed carefully, some sub-brands might overpower the parent brand, while others might lean too heavily on it. Finding the right balance is key. It takes work to maintain brand consistency while offering the flexibility these brands need.
How it may impact marketing strategies:
- Website: The parent company has a strong presence, but key sub-brands may have their own sites (e.g., Salesforce.com vs. Slack.com).
- Social media: Some products or services use the parent brand’s accounts, while others operate their own.
- Messaging: The parent brand’s credibility is leveraged where needed, but sub-brands maintain unique positioning and voice.
- SEO & Content: Mixed approach—some brands consolidate under the parent domain, while others run independent content strategies.
Endorsed
In this model, brands have their own identity but benefit from being linked to a strong parent brand. This structure works well when a company wants to maintain individual brand identities while still leveraging the trust and reputation of the master brand. How is this different from Hybrid? An endorsed brand keeps its own identity but highlights the parent brand for credibility, while a hybrid brand mixes independent and parent-linked brands together. Although some companies will feature the parent brand logo or text with the sub-brand logo, it’s not always necessary. Let’s take a look at endorsed brands with an example.
Take Marriott Bonvoy, for example. Marriott unified its loyalty program under the Bonvoy name while still endorsing its individual hotel brands like Courtyard and Westin. You’ll still see “Courtyard by Marriott” in ads and signage, but the endorsement now connects back to the larger Bonvoy ecosystem, reinforcing brand trust and loyalty.
In the B2B world, 3M demonstrates this model. They have a wide range of products, from healthcare to office supplies, and their endorsement lends credibility to individual products like Post-it Notes, making customers feel confident about their quality. While 3M’s approach could also be considered Hybrid in some instances (due to its strong B2C presence), in the B2B context, its products are clearly endorsed by the parent company.
Who’s it for:
This model works for businesses that want to maintain brand independence but benefit from the trust that comes with a recognized parent company. It’s especially useful in B2B when trust is crucial, and the parent brand provides that extra layer of reassurance.
Why it works:
Endorsed brands enjoy more freedom to create their own identity while benefiting from the parent brand’s reputation. In B2B, this approach helps establish trust, letting each sub-brand build its own name without being tied down too much by the parent brand. It’s a flexible way to combine independence and credibility.
The downsides:
If the parent brand faces a crisis, it can hurt all endorsed brands. Even though endorsed brands have more freedom than in a Branded House architecture, they still rely on the parent company’s reputation, which can limit their complete independence over time.
How it may impact marketing strategies:
- Website: Sub-brands have their own pages but will reference the parent company.
- Social media: Individual accounts for each brand, but the parent company occasionally features them for credibility.
- Messaging: Each brand has a unique voice but still connects back to the parent company’s values.
- SEO & Content: Sub-brands can build their own presence, but backlinks and references to the parent company help boost credibility.
Sub-Brand
A Sub-Brand Architecture allows a smaller brand to have its own unique identity while staying closely tied to the parent brand. These sub-brands might share key brand elements—like the logo or color scheme—but they each operate with their own marketing and positioning. Unlike a House of Brands, where brands are fully independent, sub-brands benefit from the parent brand’s credibility and equity, making the connection clear to customers. Apple is a classic example—iPhone, iPad, Mac, Music, and Watch are distinct sub-brands, each with its own identity, but all tied to Apple’s core reputation for quality and innovation.
In B2B, Adobe is another great example. Products like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat are distinct but benefit from being under the Adobe umbrella. Each sub-brand is designed to meet specific business needs but remains closely associated with Adobe’s reputation for innovation and quality.
This model allows for more autonomy than a Branded House, but there’s still a clear and strong connection to the parent brand—unlike an Endorsed Brand, where the endorsement is more subtle.
Who’s it for?
This is a great model for businesses looking to expand their offerings without diluting their core brand. Sub-brands work well for companies launching new products or services that cater to different needs or target audiences, while still being clearly associated with the parent brand. It’s about growing your product portfolio without losing the trust and recognition of the core brand.
Why it works:
Sub-brands are perfect for businesses that want to expand into new areas without losing their core identity. They let you introduce new products or services tailored to specific needs, all while keeping the trust and credibility tied to the parent brand. This approach lets B2B companies grow, innovate, and target niche markets, without having to start from scratch every time. It’s a way to offer more while staying true to the brand your customers already know and trust.
The downsides:
Too many sub-brands can water down the overall brand, and if not managed carefully, they can create confusion or overlap with the parent brand. It’s important to ensure sub-brands don’t become too independent or stray from the parent brand’s core values. Managing multiple sub-brands requires significant time and resources to maintain consistency across all touchpoints.
How it may impact marketing strategies:
- Website: Sub-brands live under the main brand’s domain (e.g., adobe.com), keeping everything centralized.
- Social media: Some sub-brands have their own accounts but the parent brand often promotes them too.
- Messaging: The sub-brand’s voice is distinct, but it reinforces the parent brand’s credibility and values.
- SEO & Content: Strong internal linking between sub-brands and the main brand boosts visibility and authority.
Which one is right for you?
Brand architecture isn’t a rigid structure—it’s a strategic blueprint that evolves with your business. No company stays locked into one model forever. Even the B2C and B2B company examples we’ve used may have evolved into something new by the time you read this. As markets shift, businesses grow, and acquisitions happen, your brand strategy needs to adapt. A startup might begin with a Branded House for simplicity but evolve into a Hybrid model as it expands. Even companies that appear to follow a single model often have exceptions—like a legacy product that keeps its original branding, a Sub-Brand created for differentiation, or an independently run division.
So, which model is right for you? That depends on your goals. Some businesses thrive under a single, unified brand, while others need flexibility to manage multiple offerings. The key isn’t just picking a model—it’s making sure your strategy is clear, consistent, and built to grow with you.
Of course, understanding brand architecture is one thing—applying it is another. That’s where expertise makes all the difference. Just look at how we helped Gemini Medical Technologies navigate its evolving brand portfolio. As they expanded, we refined their visual identity, ensured consistency across their acquisitions, and branded their new Air-Charged Catheter—helping them strike the right balance between cohesion and differentiation.
Not sure which model fits your business best? Now’s the time to take a closer look. Before things get messy. We can help you get it right.
Deck
Video
Download