The birth of Viatris: What a COVID-era merger tells us about branding the future of the healthcare industry

The recent merger of Mylan and Upjohn was one of the biggest in healthcare. But in their rebirth as Viatris, a lesson about the future of the industry may be in rediscovering its humanity, writes Christina Falzano, managing director, Conran Design Group, in an Expert View piece.

When two companies merge, there are a million factors to take into consideration. It is, after all, the combination of two entities with their own structures, voices, characters, and ways of doing things. Countless strategic business considerations, from market position as well as service and product offer to geographic reach and operations, have to be taken into account. But eventually, in the life of every merger, thoughts turn toward branding and marketing -- which includes a host of additional internal, external, tangible, and intangible factors, like heritage, mission, brand proposition, and culture. The goal is to effectively bring the best of each entity to the forefront in order to create a brand expression that is an accurate (but ambitious!) reflection of the new company.

The recent blockbuster merger of Mylan and Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) Upjohn division to create Viatris was one of these instances - a project we were intimately involved in. Combined, the entity became one of the largest healthcare companies in the global pharmaceuticals market.