Case | HBS Case Collection | December 1997 (Revised May 1998)

CUC and HFS: Corporate Identity for a "Merger of Equals"

by Stephen A. Greyser and Robert J. Crawford

Abstract

In the wake of a major $20 billion market capitalization "merger of equals," two large consumer service firms must determine a new name for the new entity. Neither CUC nor HFS is well known among consumers. The CUC Services (e.g., shopping, travel, credit card insurance, etc.) and the HFS brands (e.g., Avis, Century 21, Ramada Inns) are well known. Among the key issues are the "publics" to which the new name is important, whether the name should link to either or both merging firms, and whether the new name should suggest the lines of business the firms operate (principally consumer services).

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Capital; Brands and Branding; Identity; Customization and Personalization; Value; Service Industry;

Format: Print 12 pages Find at Harvard

Citation:

Greyser, Stephen A., and Robert J. Crawford. CUC and HFS: Corporate Identity for a "Merger of Equals". Harvard Business School Case 598-028, December 1997. (Revised May 1998.)

About the Author

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Stephen A. Greyser
Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus

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