Ashley Moxey, strategy director at global brand consultancy Landor, on why brand should lead, not follow, in healthcare divestments.

In healthcare spin-offs, brand rarely comes to mind. Financial metrics, operational efficiencies, shareholder value? Absolutely. But brand? That’s often relegated to the “we’ll get to it eventually” pile.

As healthcare spin-offs accelerate at breakneck speed, companies are under immense pressure to unlock value, sharpen focus, and streamline operations. These deals are typically evaluated through financial metrics alone, with brand treated as some cosmetic afterthought that gets slapped on at the end.

Recent high-stakes separations have shown, brand is not a cosmetic layer, but a strategic lever.

When done right, brand doesn’t just follow business strategy, it strengthens it. It signals readiness, builds investor confidence, and unlocks higher value. It’s not just about logos and color palettes — it’s about creating a framework that drives measurable outcomes. A system that moves beyond storytelling to bring together business, design, experience, culture; to rally everyone around the same vision.

The data backs this up. According to Landor’s BrandAsset® Valuator (BAV) data, the ten strongest brands outperform leading market indices by more than 300% over time. That’s not coincidence — it’s because strong brands drive higher pricing power, increased loyalty, and long-term investor confidence.

In sectors like healthcare, where margins are tight and competition is fierce, brand isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a commercial imperative.

Four actionable insights every healthcare leader should know before a spin-off:

Brand gets everyone on the same page

Every spin-off tells two stories simultaneously: one of separation, and one of redefinition. In these moments, internal alignment isn’t just helpful, it’s essential.

Leadership needs a unifying narrative to anchor decisions. Employees need a sense of continuity and conviction. Investors need a reason to believe. Brand provides that foundation.

I worked with a healthcare spin-off that seemed to face hesitation from its parent company’s board. The business case was solid, but the narrative wasn’t compelling. Once we defined a robust brand strategy, which articulated the new company’s mission, values, and market ambition, the board not only approved the spin-off but accelerated it. The separation was announced the very next day.

Brand, in this context, isn’t window dressing. It’s alignment infrastructure.

Brand attracts greater value

In the transactional world of healthcare M&A, differentiation is currency. Your financials might get you in the room, but your brand helps you shape the conversation.

Private equity firms and institutional investors aren’t just evaluating numbers, they’re evaluating narrative. A compelling, well-expressed brand signals momentum. It makes a spin-off feel like a company with a vision, not just a carve-out with cost synergies.

Take Opella, a consumer healthcare spin-off from Sanofi. With a new voice-led identity and values like “radically simple” and “outcome-obsessed,” the brand cut through the usual corporate jargon. It was bold, distinct — and it worked.

The result? Opella attracted multiple offers, was named OTC Company of the Year, and entered negotiations valued at €16 billion. Even Sanofi’s CEO requested a pair of the custom branded sneakers given to Opella leadership, despite knowing the brand was leaving the group. That’s brand resonance with real commercial impact.

Brand doesn’t replace a business case — it amplifies it.

Brand is a signal: we’re ready

There’s a world of difference between being legally independent and being perceived as such.

Spin-offs that lack brand clarity risk signalling operational immaturity. They appear adrift — unclear in purpose, unproven in identity. Investors notice. Employees notice. The market notices.

But when a brand is clearly defined — rooted in culture, vision, and experience — it acts as proof of readiness. It tells stakeholders: this company knows who it is, what it stands for, and how it’s going to grow.

Opella delayed its spin by over a year to get this right. During that time, the company restructured, hired for key capabilities, refined its product portfolio, and embedded brand into every facet of its culture. When it launched, it wasn’t just separate — it was sovereign.

That’s branding for independence.

Brand is a tool, not a magic bullet

Brand won’t fix a broken business model. But it will elevate a strong one. It brings coherence to complexity, direction to ambition, and energy to investor conversations.

A rushed or superficial brand effort is worse than none at all — it undermines confidence. But a brand rooted in strategic truth and cultural clarity? That’s a force to be reckoned with.

When done properly, brand doesn’t just sit on the side of a PowerPoint deck. It lives in the business plan, the leadership behavior, and the customer promise. It becomes a measurable driver of value, internally and externally.

As spin-offs become more common, healthcare leaders need to ask themselves: are we giving brand a seat at the table, or leaving it at reception?

Those who treat brand as a strategic tool will be better positioned to unlock value, drive differentiation, and scale with confidence. Those who don’t may still separate — but they’ll struggle to stand out.

The brands that endure are those designed to be both valuable and resilient — to attract investment today and withstand disruption tomorrow.

If you’re heading into a healthcare spin-off, bring brand in early — not as an afterthought. Because by the time you’re legally independent, the market will have already made up its mind.