What brand architecture looks like:
A visual guide for marketers who don’t want to wade through MBA textbooks
Brand architecture in a nutshell
Brand architecture is the structural blueprint that defines how all your brands, sub-brands, products, and services relate to one another.
It’s how you help customers understand your offering at a glance. It also helps ensure internal teams don’t create brand chaos every time something new launches. Whether you’re a SaaS scaleup or a multi-brand enterprise, brand architecture shapes everything from naming and design to equity and long-term trajectory.
The three big brand architecture models
Branded house
Example: Atlassian
Everything is clearly part of the same family: Atlassian Confluence, Atlassian Jira, Atlassian Trello, and likely to appeal to the same market
One parent brand, multiple products that reinforce the masterbrand
Pros: Simpler to manage, stronger brand equity, brand trust transfers
Cons: One weak product can tarnish the whole brand
House of brands
Example: Unilever
Completely separate consumer-facing brands: Dove, Lynx, Omo, Magnum that may appeal to different audiences
Few people know or care that they’re owned by the same parent
Pros: Brand freedom, audience segmentation, reputational insulation
Cons: Higher cost to build and manage; less shared equity.
Hybrid brand architecture
Example: Google
Google has products under its own name: Google Maps, Google Drive
But also owns standalone brands: YouTube, Fitbit and Nest, often a model seen where there has been acquisition
Pros: Flexible model. Allows the masterbrand where useful and independence where needed
Cons: Can be complex to govern. Needs careful strategy to avoid brand drift
How to decide what brand architecture model fits?
Ask yourself:
Will our customers benefit from brand consistency or brand separation?
Do we want to share brand equity between products or protect each one separately?
Are our audiences similar or distinct?
Can our team realistically manage a portfolio of brands?
A branded house works well for B2B tech and SaaS firms with a single brand promise. A house of brands suits consumer companies targeting diverse segments. Hybrids fit businesses in transition. They're also ideal for post-acquisition scenarios or when your portfolio is expanding into new galaxies.
Bonus: brand architecture quick reference chart
| Model | Examples | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branded house | Atlassian, HubSpot | Simple, scalable | Shared risk |
| House of brands | Unilever, Procter & Gamble | Freedom, segmentation | Expensive, siloed |
| Hybrid | Google, Adobe | Flexible, strategic | Complex to manage |
Want help clarifying your own brand structure?
We work with complex businesses to map and evolve their architecture. Whether you're merging, growing, or just finally putting names to things, we can help you chart the course.
Explore our brand strategy services, or get in touch.