Episerver's Acquisition of Optimizely: The fall of a Swedish empire

In 2019, Episerver, a Swedish company known for its digital experience platform, made the strategic move of acquiring Optimizely, an American company that specializes in website experimentation and optimization. The intention behind the acquisition was to strengthen Episerver's capabilities in personalization and optimization, as well as expanding its presence in the American market. However, the effects of this acquisition and rebranding have been both positive and negative for the company.

One of the positive effects of the acquisition was an expansion of product offerings for customers. By combining Episerver's comprehensive digital experience platform with Optimizely's website testing and optimization tools, the newly merged company was able to offer a more robust and versatile solution for digital marketing and e-commerce. This provided customers with a one-stop-shop for all their digital needs, resulting in increased convenience and efficiency.

On the other hand, the rebranding and integration of the two companies' products and teams also brought about some negative effects. The decision to rebrand as Optimizely and phase out the Episerver name was met with backlash from Episerver's loyal customer base, who felt a strong attachment to the brand and its Nordic heritage. Additionally, the integration of the two companies' products and teams proved to be a difficult process, leading to issues with product compatibility and support. This caused frustration and dissatisfaction among customers, and some even switched to competitors.

The rebranding also caused confusion in the market, as Optimizely was primarily known as a website testing and optimization tool, while Episerver offered a more comprehensive digital experience platform. This led to a loss of market share as potential customers were uncertain of what the new company stood for and what products and services it offered.

The company's decision to rebrand as Optimizely and phase out the Episerver name also led to a loss of talent as employees, who had a strong attachment to the Episerver brand, left the company.

In conclusion, the acquisition of Optimizely by Episerver and the subsequent rebranding had both positive and negative effects on the company. While the expansion of product offerings was a positive outcome, the rebranding caused confusion in the market, led to a loss of brand loyalty and market share, and caused issues with product compatibility and support. Additionally, the integration of the two companies led to a loss of talent as employees who had a strong attachment to the Episerver brand left the company.