Brand value is an important consideration when integrating. i think the opportunity to add, or destroy, value of a brand must be carefully considered (with inputs from advisors, market analysis, etc.) before tackling change. I’ve seen scenarios where brands are combined to good effect, and others where it has not added value to either brand, or possible weakened one or the other. More recently, I’ve seen situations where sub-brands are becoming common place, but usually where the parent company wants to identify affiliation but preserve the existing brand (and culture) of the acquired company.