Consolidating identity across multiple brands

Starting state

• A separate identity system per brand, often inherited by acquisition
• Duplicate accounts for customers who use more than one brand
• No shared consent or unified customer view

Trigger for change

• A cross-brand loyalty or single-account initiative
• Cost and risk of maintaining several identity stacks

Constraints

• Each brand keeps its own look, domain, and data boundaries
• Duplicate accounts must be linked without disrupting logins
• Consent and privacy choices must be respected per brand and region

Architecture choice

• One CIAM with per-brand theming and configuration
• Shared identity with account linking across brands
• Centralized consent honoring per-brand and per-region rules

Rollout plan

1. 1

   Unify platform

   Migrate brands onto one CIAM with isolated per-brand config.

2. 2

   Theme

   Apply per-brand branding and domains to login and email.

3. 3

   Link

   Detect and link duplicate accounts with user consent.

4. 4

   Consolidate consent

   Centralize consent while respecting brand and region scope.

Typical outcomes

• One platform to maintain instead of several identity stacks
• A shared customer identity without erasing brand identity
• Consistent, auditable consent across brands and regions

Lessons learned

• Account linking needs explicit user consent, not silent merging
• Per-brand theming and data boundaries are non-negotiable for the brands
• Consent consolidation is the hardest and most regulated part; plan for it

FAQ

Can I merge duplicate accounts automatically across brands?

Link them, don't silently merge. Account linking must be explicit and consented; automatic merging risks combining data the user never agreed to share across brands.

How do I keep brand identity while sharing one platform?

Use one CIAM with per-brand theming, domains, and data boundaries. The identity is shared underneath, but each brand keeps its own look and, where required, regional and consent scope.