Complii buy and build brand strategy
Unified identity strengthens Complii’'s power in private equity
When acquisitions stack up without a clear strategy, the resulting fragmentation can sink potential for private equity investors – confusing customers, stalling growth, and eroding commercial value. Complii, a buy-and-build business supporting compliance across the built environment, faced this exact problem. After a series of deals saw it become a patchwork of identities, it needed a trusted partner to create one powerful brand that would drive growth and maximise exit multiples.
The challenge
Complii’s rapid expansion through acquisition brought impressive growth. However, with each acquired business retaining its own name, identity, and marketing approach, it also resulted in a fragmented brand landscape that diluted the company’s overall market presence. Instead of championing a single, unified brand, Complii had become a collection of disparate entities, making it harder to communicate its expertise and value effectively. As a result, the business risked confusing clients, disengaging employees, and diminishing its appeal to investors. The longer this continued, the more it threatened future growth and exit value.
After 
Before 
To move forward, Complii needed more than a new look – it needed an all-encompassing brand that could pull its growing group of companies together to tell one powerful story. But this was no small feat. With each acquisition bringing its own history, culture, and way of doing things, the project required careful alignment to keep all stakeholders satisfied. It had to respect each company’s roots while creating something bold, modern, and compelling enough to resonate with clients, employees, and future investors alike. Then, it required meticulous planning to roll out the new identity consistently across all physical and digital touchpoints.
Our solution
Working shoulder to shoulder with Complii's C-suite and the teams from the acquired businesses, we developed a brand that's now greater than the sum of its parts.
We started with our Think Big brand workshop and detailed stakeholder research, uncovering critical truths about how the business was perceived, what clients valued most, and what would resonate with future acquisition targets. Armed with this insight, we then crafted a compelling proposition that distilled the company’s purpose, mission, vision, and values into consistent messaging for internal and external audiences. This worked hand in hand with a fresh visual identity – which included a new logo, colour palette, and visual language – to bring the brand to life and create a professional, trustworthy, and modern look.
But we didn’t stop there. By developing and executing a phased rollout strategy, we also seamlessly integrated the new brand across all platforms – from websites and marketing materials to internal communications and company promotional materials – to ensure consistency, build confidence, and create impact at every touchpoint.
A right result!
By focusing on a cohesive, strategic brand, we helped Complii transform from a group of companies into a unified, valuable asset. This brand overhaul directly contributed to:
Increased perceived value. A single, powerful brand reduced perceived risk for investors and increased the company's valuation.
Enhanced acquisition strategy. The new platform brand provided a clear, attractive home for future acquisitions, streamlining the integration process.
Improved talent acquisition. A unified, compelling brand attracted top talent, boosting employee morale and making it easier to recruit the best people to fuel future growth.
Improved market positioning. A clear and consistently applied brand elevated Complii's market standing, distinguishing it from competitors and placing it as a true market leader.
Operational efficiency. A single brand architecture simplified marketing efforts and improved internal alignment across all teams, leading to greater efficiency and a stronger return on investment.
Ali Croston,
director of growth and strategy at The Bigger Boat
