Leading brands often turn to Bluetext to achieve their branding and marketing goals, helping them to increase sales, reach new target audiences, and grow beyond their expectations. In many cases, the goal is a successful acquisition, rewarding investors and other stakeholders for their support while putting them in the position for continued growth. That’s why challenger brands often partner with a leading marketing agency, like Bluetext, to put them in the position for a rewarding acquisition or merger.

The latest M&A success story involves KnightPoint and Perspecta, two companies Bluetext helped when they both needed a new brand and a new website. When Vencore and KeyPoint merged to form Perspecta, a government services provider with 14,000 employees and pro-forma revenues of $4.2 billion, they turned to Bluetext to develop and launch the company’s website under its new vibrant brand. With a new look, feel, and website, Perspecta was ready to take on something big. In early August, it was announced that Perspecta would acquire KnightPoint, another former Bluetext client who provided comprehensive managed services and solutions and specialized in modernizing IT, for $250 million. Needless to say, we are incredibly proud of both Perspecta and KnightPoint.

We have also had the pleasure of working with other brands who have seen recent success in the M&A arena and thought that this would be a good time to recognize many of those success stories. More importantly, it demonstrates the range of services that can help drive a growth strategy that leads to a rewarding acquisition. Here’s just a sampling of clients who have reached their M&A goals:

• Cigital: As an extremely successful security consulting company, Cigital built a strong business helping companies drive best practices in building security into their applications and software. As the company was looking to expand both globally and to a broader audience of companies who need to understand the importance of application security testing earlier in their development life-cycle, Cigital turned to Bluetext to completely rebrand the company. As a result, publicly-traded Synopsys agreed to acquired Cigital in 2016.

• Acentia: When the new CEO of IT Solutions – a roll-up of nine IT government contracting firms – was brought on board by its private equity owners, he turned to Bluetext to position this new company for growth, visibility, and a successful sale. Following a thorough discovery process, Bluetext proposed the name Acentia and launched the new brand identity, with a powerful website to better represent its mission supporting customers on programs of National Significance. Bluetext worked closely with the entire Acentia management team, employees and customers to overhaul its messaging, establish a new name, create its brand, design and develop a new responsive website, and re-launch the company to the public. In the end, Acentia was acquired by Reston-based Maximus Inc. for $300 million.

• Force3: Force3 is one of the fastest-growing network security services and solutions company servicing the Federal Government with revenues of more than one billion dollars annually. When its brand, messaging and website needed an update, it turned to Bluetext. Shortly after help from Bluetext, Force3 was acquired by Sirius Computer Solutions as a way to better service customers in the Mid-Atlantic region.

• Altimeter: The Altimeter Group, based in Silicon Valley, is one of the hottest research, analyst and consulting firms in the digital market. It turned to Bluetext for a makeover of its brand. Bluetext designed a new approach to the market, including how it presents its name, its image and all of its digital and physical assets. Consequentially, Altimeter was acquired by consulting powerhouse Prophet.

• Sourcefire: A $2.7 billion Cisco acquisition is the culmination of a Sourcefire’s journey from startup to a global leader. Bluetext was there the entire way, with a partnership over 8 years and 2 global rebrands.

• BroadSoft: BroadSoft was a leading global provider of software that enables service providers to deliver unified communications services to their customers. In early 2014, realizing that they needed to up their visual identity and brand, BroadSoft turned to Bluetext. The effort resulted in a global brand designed that enabled the company to target new customers and new markets and drive new solutions into the market. In the end, Broadsoft’s new brand and CVI helped them get acquired by Cisco.

How do you provide effective communications support to a high-ranking individual whose behavior is out of control? Not easily, Bluetext Partner and crisis communications expert Don Goldberg tells CNN. Asked to compare Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s situation to President Clinton’s during the impeachment scandal, Don says that there’s a pretty big difference, and it has to do with not knowing what’s coming next. Watch the video to hear Don’s perspective on the ongoing crisis in Toronto.

A founding partner of Bluetext, Don Goldberg has helped many of the largest global corporations achieve their communications goals through public relations, media outreach, digital strategies and integrated marketing campaigns. In his 25-years in Washington, he has led companies and organizations through communications challenges and reputational threats, and helped position clients for success in the commercial, government and policy arenas. Don began his career as an award-winning journalist before serving for more than a decade as a senior staff member on Capitol Hill.  During the Clinton Administration, he was appointed Special Assistant to the President, where he served on the communications team managing investigations and damage control for the White House.

Since leaving politics, Don has become one of the leading crisis communications experts in the nation, and is a frequent guest commentator on CNN, Fox News and other national news networks. His expertise includes helping major brands better position themselves before key audiences, whether government executives, policy makers, business leaders, regulators or consumers.

Arnold Schwartzenegger, Terry Sanford, John Ensign, what’s with all these guys? Don’t they know that in politics, you can’t get away with anything? But a significant question to ask is, “Does the Public Care?” I think we are going to find out, given the histories of many of the Republican candidates for president. Check out my appearance on CNN’s Piers Morgan discussing the implications of the recent scandals:.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l0T_XkWV9Q