We’ve watched a subtle form of brand sprawl accumulate quietly over the last few years. Companies were hesitant to make big moves during economic uncertainty, so they added features and sub-brands without a master plan. It is exactly like the clutter that builds up in a garage when you are too busy to organize it. Now that the economic winds are shifting, that accumulated mess is about to become a major liability.

I vividly remember the frenzy of 2021 when tech giants finally unleashed their lockdown savings. I expect to see the signs of a nearly identical surge approaching for early 2026. Tech and other companies are sitting on massive cash reserves, and stabilizing interest rates are signaling that it is time to deploy capital. This inevitably leads to a cycle of aggressive mergers, acquisitions, and new product launches.

Growth is exciting, but it breaks things, especially brand portfolios that haven’t been cleaned up in a while. When you acquire a competitor or launch three new verticals, you force your customers to relearn how to buy from you. Without a disciplined naming architecture, your portfolio becomes a maze that frustrates the very people you are trying to acquire. We saw the smartest companies in 2022 scramble to rationalize their portfolios after the chaos had already started.

This time, you have the opportunity to get ahead of the wave. The most successful organizations in the coming cycle will be the ones that tidy their portfolios before they scale. They will decide now which names to keep, which to retire, and how new innovations fit into the family.

The Takeaway: Product proliferation is coming. If you rationalize your brand architecture now, you clear the runway for the growth ahead in 2026.