Solventum
We never stop solving for you
From spinoff to standout: Building a world-class health care brand from scratch
Challenge
In 2022, 3M announced plans to spin off its health care division, establishing a new global leader in key sectors such as wound care, oral care and health information systems. Our challenge: build a world-class brand from the ground up—rooted in facts, clearly positioned, differentiated from competitors and distinct from 3M. Balancing rigor and speed, we collaborated closely with 3M to shape every aspect of the brand, including strategy, naming, identity, voice, digital presence and activation.
Insight
The new company needed a north star. We anchored the brand around its inspiring mission: enabling better, smarter, safer health care to improve lives. This struck a deep chord with 3M health care employees worldwide, inspiring pride and purpose. We wove this mission into every part of the brand experience, especially in initiatives designed to engage and empower employees. It now stands as the heart of the brand’s strategic vision.
Answer
The new brand promise, “We never stop solving for you,” is a powerful pledge to the world, setting it apart from competitors. “We never stop solving” reflects a relentless dedication to creating evidence-based solutions that transform lives. “For you” underscores a deep commitment to listening to patients and healthcare professionals, designing solutions that genuinely make a difference. This promise inspired the brand’s new name, Solventum—standing for empathy, innovation and the pursuit of bold solutions to tackle the toughest challenges in health care.
We are Solventum
The name Solventum embodies the drive to solve health care challenges with unstoppable
momentum. “Solving” reflects a commitment to breakthrough solutions, while “Momentum”
conveys swift, agile innovation. It’s a forward-looking, dynamic name that captures the brand’s
mission and spirit.
A fresh, dynamic identity, ready to inspire
The Solventum identity is inspired by the brand’s promise to never stop solving.
The “S” monogram in the logo symbolizes boundlessness and limitless potential,
with its curves reflecting Solventum’s responsive, caring and imaginative spirit.
The custom-crafted wordmark aligns visually with the symbol, creating a cohesive
brand look. The lowercase “S” adds a sense of approachability, care and humanity
to the brand.
These images illustrate how the visual identity can be applied and do not represent product claims.
Humanity meets credibility
The vibrant core green symbolizes the energy required to tackle complex
challenges, while the rich dark green embodies care and humanity.
The design system reflects an endless drive for problem-solving, incorporating
symbols of infinity, boundlessness and humanity.
Elements with intention
Solventum’s signature green symbolizes life, growth and safety.
The palette blends a vibrant bright green, symbolizing imaginative
problem-solving, with a deep rich green that reflects a caring, people-first
approach. The Solve Pro typeface captures the brand’s personality, balancing
humanity and credibility with its strong geometries and graceful curves.
The iconography is simple, universal and approachable, mirroring the
smooth curves and dynamic movement of the logo.
These images illustrate how the visual identity can be applied and do not represent product claims.
These images illustrate how the visual identity can be applied and do not represent product claims.
A confident voice to call their own
A new voice and communications playbook provides everyone
at Solventum with the inspiration, guidance, and practical tools
needed to consistently and compellingly tell their brand story across
enterprise-level and audience-specific channels.
A centralized source of truth
The Solventum brand implementation included detailed migration planning,
a governance workstream to define brand team roles, and a global brand education
program with virtual and live workshops. A new Brand Center, built on the Frontify
platform, streamlined access to guidelines and assets for over 2,800 monthly users,
replacing an outdated SharePoint system. Additional efforts included a corporate
signage program, innovative tradeshow strategies and a high-impact launch featuring
the NYSE bell ringing, employee gifts and celebrations, honoring Solventum employees
and their dedication to solving challenges.
Building a culture employees love
When over 20,000 3M Health Care employees transitioned to Solventum,
they faced uncertainty about leaving a well-known brand. To support them,
we held global listening sessions and found a strong desire to create a bold and
unique culture for Solventum. We introduced new organizational values and trained
leaders and managers to embrace and promote this culture. Additionally, we
developed a compelling Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and employer brand
messaging to highlight the unique experience Solventum offers its employees.
