According to financial statements, Merck & Co topped the charts of the most valuable brands in trademark transactions list, with the brand portfolio being valued at $7.1bn following its acquisition last year.

Of the top 20 brands on the Markables list, Merck & Co led the way, acquired by Germany’s Bayer. Despite not hitting the top 10 of all time – led by Gillette’s $31.7 billion transactional brand value), it is not too far off the number 10 spot, said to showcase the importance of ‘brand value’.

According to the World Trade Mark Review, while Merck was the winner in overall value, it was Insight Pharmaceuticals that accounted for ‘the overall contribution made to the business’. The company’s brand value accounting for 96.6 percent of enterprise value, with the next in line, Internet Classifed company Scout24, coming in at just 57 percent.  

Other personal care companies making up the top 20 most valuable brands that changed hands in 2014 included Alliance Boots at $5.91 billion brand value, in third place.