Merck Serono and Merck Millipore Become Merck

Merck announced on Oct. 14, 2015, the relaunch of its brand identity-in which the previously independent Merck Serono and Merck Millipore divisions have been eliminated. The brand architecture at business level has been simplified. Merck Serono will operate as the biopharmaceutical arm and Merck Millipore as the life-science arm of Merck. The company is now operating uniformly as Merck outside the United States and Canada.

According to chairman of the Executive Board and CEO, Karl-Ludwig Kley, Merck has changed during the past decade. In a press statement, Kley said that Merck has developed from a classic pharmaceutical and chemical supplier into a technology company. The revision of the visual appearance and the introduction of a new logo reflect the transformation of Merck into a global science and technology company. 

The investment in the Merck brand is part of the "Fit for 2018" strategic transformation and growth program, which includes the focus on innovative, technology-driven businesses as well as the modernization and expansion of global headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany.

Merck holds the rights to the Merck name and brand globally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada. The company will therefore continue to operate in these two countries as EMD Serono in the biopharmaceutical business, as EMD Performance Materials in the high-tech materials business, as well as EMD Millipore in the life science business up until the planned acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich has been completed.

The new corporate design seeks to create a strong visual link to the Merck businesses in the United States and Canada. For this reason, the company is also introducing a striking, multi-colored "M" in addition to the Merck logo to indicate the membership of businesses and products to the Merck Group, independent of company names or regions.

Source: Merck