Merck boosts brand recognition with new logos
By Kim Tae-gyu
People may be wondering what has happened to Merck, one of the world’s oldest companies whose history stretches back to 1668, as the outfit’s name is seen in a few different brands — Merck, Merck Millipore and Merck Serono.
They are under the wings of Merck, the global behemoth in pharmaceutical and chemical businesses, which has a unique strategy of maintaining brands it acquired instead of abandoning them.
“Our extensive market research demonstrates that both Merck and recently acquired companies are powerful, well-established brands with strong customer recognition worldwide,” Merck Korea CEO Juergen Koenig said in an interview with The Korea Times.
“To capitalize on this enormous brand equity, it was important to create a new brand identity including a new division logo that preserves the key elements of both brands.”
Merck gobbled up Serono, a biotechnology giant based in Switzerland in early 2007 and U.S.-based life-science powerhouse Millipore last year.
After working on internal mergers between the overlapping businesses, Merck came up with a pair of new logos for Merck Millipore and Merck Serono early this year while maintaining the original one for Merck itself.
Merck takes charge of over-the-counter drugs and performance materials including displays. Liquid crystal display (LCD), which has been widely used for flat-panel TVs, is the very brainchild of Merck.
Merck Serono assumes segments relating to ethical medicines, otherwise known as prescription drugs, while Merck Millipore has three main focuses of bioscience, lab solutions and process solutions.
In other words, Merck Serono and Merck Millipore are entities under the umbrella of Merck and that’s why the three logos have some features in common.
Koenig, who took the reins of Merck Korea in 2008, said that the Merck trio will put the benefits of customers first. Along the way, the charismatic chief executive is sure that the organization will be able to chalk up growths in the competitive businesses.
“Our new brands, which represent combined strengths of Merck and acquired companies, will be reassuring to customers and will help us win new business. Acquired companies’ customers will benefit from Merck’s quality infrastructure and reputation for reliability, and its customers will benefit from their agility and passion for delivering solutions that transform the way customers work,” Koenig said.
“Together, we now have the best of both worlds and a unique competitive position and our new brands will help us capitalize on this position.”
Koenig said that Merck will continue to forge ahead while bracing for changes in proactive fashion, which he says is a secret lurking beneath the long-term sustainability of the company.
“Constant change is one of the few certain factors in the economy, markets, entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurship today. Everything is on the move and at an accelerating pace,” he said.
“Since Merck was founded in 1668, Merck has continually adapted to changing conditions without losing sight of its values and principles.”