The public seems to loathe Monsanto. A recent poll ranked the company among the 20 most hated in America (nearly every other name on the list is a consumer-facing company the public deals with regularly, like health insurers, telecoms, and airlines) and entire marches are organized against them. As German corporation Bayer AG folds Monsanto into its portfolio, Bayer is making what is probably a shrewd business choice: killing the Monsanto name.
In a press release, Bayer announced the decision: “Bayer will remain the company name. Monsanto will no longer be a company name. The acquired products will retain their brand names and become part of the Bayer portfolio.” In other words, you’ll no longer find Monsanto-brand Roundup in your Home Depot; it’ll be Bayer-branded Roundup. (That is if Roundup continues to be sold.)
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What’s more interesting is whether the general public, which is highly aware of Monsanto but not particularly aware of the movements of agribusiness corporations, will associate Monsanto with Bayer. “Monsanto” reads as “evil” to many Americans. “Bayer”? That might just read as “aspirin.” (Bayer was the first mass-market seller of aspirin, back in the 19th century.)
Read full, original article: The Much-Loathed Monsanto Name Is About to Die
