Financial Branding
Insights
When Selling Your Shares, Don’t Leave Your Brand Out of the Valuation
By
Daisy Goh
Most shareholders rely on accountants, auditors or brokers when discussing valuation. The problem? Traditional valuation methods over-index on assets, cash flow and earnings — and under-represent the very thing that customers are actually buying: your brand.
If you’re selling your shares and you ignore brand value, you’re giving up leverage before the negotiation even starts.
The brand is often the largest invisible driver of enterprise value — shaping customer preference, price resilience, repeat business and future revenue strength. Yet in many exits, the brand is treated like an afterthought. The result? Sellers walk away with less than they deserve, while remaining shareholders or buyers inherit unrecognised upside.
This is where ISO 20671 changes the game. It provides a structured, stakeholder-centred way to evaluate brand strength and quantify its impact on business outcomes. When you bring a credible brand evaluation into the room, the conversation shifts. Suddenly, it’s not just “EBITDA x multiple” — it’s a fuller picture of enterprise value that includes the intangible asset driving customer demand.
The lesson is simple: if you helped build the brand that customers trust, don’t let the valuation ignore it. Quantifying brand value gives you clarity, control and negotiating power — especially when others would rather keep the discussion narrow.