Financial Branding
Shareholder Exit & Buy-Out Negotiations
Background
A minority shareholder wanted to exit his company, but there was no agreement on valuation. With the other shareholders dragging their feet, negotiations stalled. Traditional valuation methods focused only on financial statements and assets — ignoring the very thing that was driving customer loyalty and recurring business: the brand.
When brand strength isn’t measured, the negotiation power lies with whoever controls the narrative. Without a quantified view of brand impact, the shareholder risked walking away with a price that failed to reflect the company’s true enterprise value. In situations like this, “just use EBITDA” is not a valuation — it’s a shortcut that benefits the other side.
Case Study
What We Did
We applied an ISO 20671-based brand evaluation to isolate and quantify the brand’s contribution to enterprise value. By assessing stakeholder perceptions, customer behaviour, competitive position and revenue-driving brand factors, we provided a structured brand score and a defensible valuation logic rooted in international standards.
The Outcome
With clarity backed by evidence — not opinions — the shareholder shifted the negotiation dynamic. The evaluation strengthened his leverage, reframed the discussion around total enterprise value (not just tangible assets), and positioned him to negotiate a fairer exit on firmer ground.