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Unite: our rebrand explained

We’re reorganising ourselves and rebranding too. Here’s everything you need to know about why we’re changing things, what we’re doing and when. For our existing customers, don’t worry – you won’t have to do anything. Just join us in celebrating our evolution.

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The next step in our transformation

We’ve led the B2B marketplace revolution for the last 20 years. Now we’re uniting our business. We understand that it’s connections that create real value and a diverse supply chain. Small and medium-sized businesses will no longer be marginalised, but help fuel innovation and strengthen local economies. We believe the best way to meet this challenge is to bring all these needs together. Connecting all the parts for a common purpose.

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Changes to the logos

Why Unite?

Simply put, we’ve outgrown Mercateo’s B2B marketplace positioning. As our Unite network and platform solutions have grown it’s time to integrate them together. This all means we can better match supply with demand and drive greater supply chain innovation. For suppliers and buyers it’s a true win-win situation.

What’s changing?

Well our new logo for a start. Some of the most obvious changes will include our email signatures, our social media identity, the signage on our buildings and our new unite.eu website, with everything Unite related. Overall you’ll notice more colour and life in our brand language, which reflect our warm and innovative DNA.

Your questions answered

Here we answer your questions about what will happen and when, and how it might affect you.

Why are we rebranding?
We have chosen Unite as our corporate brand because it best reflects the ethos and aspirations of the company. As the Unite network has developed along with our platform solutions which connect businesses directly, we have outgrown the sole B2B marketplace positioning of Mercateo. So we’ve decided to integrate the marketplace as part of the Unite platform. With this reorganisation and rebranding, we will provide a more coherent brand experience for our Mercateo and Unite platform users. But it won’t happen overnight. After all, they say Rome wasn’t built in a day.
When will the rebrand take place?
Our rebranding will begin on November 30th 2021. We’re starting by launching our new website and social media channels. After this, we will gradually change from Mercateo to become Unite.

Before the launch, we will contact our buyers, suppliers, partners and other contacts, informing them about the changes.
What differences will I notice?
Our corporate brand is changing from Mercateo to Unite, so you’ll notice the change in all of our corporate communications and assets. Including our logo. Other obvious changes will include our email signatures, social media, signage on buildings and our new unite.eu website, where you’ll find all our company-related information. You’ll also see a temporary "Mercateo part of Unite" logo replacing the old Mercateo logo. We’ll refer to the Mercateo platform as the Mercateo Procurement Portal, and the Mercateo B2B marketplace, or Mercateo Shop, as the Spotmarket. Overall you’ll notice more colour and life in our brand language, which will reflect our human and creative origins.
What is the meaning behind the new logo?
Our new logo looks like a plus sign made from the letter "U" in Unite. It represents our company’s 20 year legacy of bringing buyers and suppliers together for mutual benefit. The different ways our platform supports transactions may have evolved and expanded, but the fair foundations of its governance remain the same.
What is the meaning behind the new tagline: "Value added. Value shared"?
We believe that a platform business should add value and encourage others to share it, too. Unite strives to help companies explore new opportunities for value creation and foster business relationships that go beyond assets, stuff and cost-efficiency. Thus, enabling linear businesses to collaborate and become more circular.
What’s staying the same?
The employees. The board. The owners. And our unwavering commitment to building a neutral platform for fair business.
Are there any circumstances where Mercateo will still be used?
The Mercateo name and logo will still be used on the Procurement Portal, mercateo.com, as well as all the marketing materials and services attached to it. The Mercateo marketplace assortment, accessible through the portal, will be referred to as the Spotmarket.
Are there any legal changes?
Yes. Unite Network AG has been converted from a German stock corporation to a European Stock Corporation (SE), to reflect our European foothold and values. It is now called Unite Network SE.
Has the ownership structure of the company changed?
No.
Is the company structure changing?
No, the company structure is not changing.

We are only changing company names, converting Unite Network AG to an SE and uniting our corporate and business functions under the leading brand Unite.
What company entities are you renaming/converting exactly?
We have converted Unite Network AG to Unite Network SE which remains the shareholder for all Mercateo trading entities across Europe.

And we are also renaming our German based employer company from Mercateo Services GmbH & Co. KG to Unite Services GmbH & Co. KG to create consistency in the corporate brand for our employees.
Will the international Mercateo subsidiaries be renamed?
The renaming of Mercateo Deutschland AG, and that of the international subsidiaries carrying the "Mercateo" name, are currently under consideration. Either way, the renaming won’t entail any structural changes, and as such, it won’t affect existing contracts or tax numbers. However, since customers and suppliers would need to update the new name in their systems, we will notify them in due course.
When exactly does the company name change?
Unite Network AG has been converted to Unite Network SE on September 8th, 2021.

Mercateo Services GmbH & Co. KG is renamed to Unite Services GmbH & Co. KG on November 1st 2021.

The renaming of the country entities, including Merceteo Deutschland AG, is under consideration for 2022.
Will the existing Non Disclosure Agreement or Purchase Order be updated?
No.
Has your company registration number changed?
Yes. The commercial registration number of Unite Network SE (former Unite Network AG) has changed on September 8th, 2021.

No other company registration number, such as that of the subsidiaries, is expected to change.
Have tax identification numbers, VAT IDs or DUNS changed?
No. All tax identification numbers, VAT IDs, DUNS etc. remain the same.
Is Unite Network SE the same legal entity as Mercateo Deutschland AG?
No. Unite Network SE is the sole shareholder of Mercateo Deutschland AG and that of its subsidiaries.
Will cheques, direct debits and standing orders still work?
Yes. Cheques, direct debits and standing orders will still work as payment details, such as account number, have not changed.
Have your payment details changed?
No. Payment details, such as account number, have not changed.
I currently provide services to Mercateo/Unite, do I need to update my invoice details?
No. But if you issue invoices to Unite Network SE (former Unite Network AG) or Unite Services GmbH & Co. KG (former Mercateo Services GmbH & Co. KG) you’ll need to update the legal name of the beneficiary.
Is your postal address changing?
No. Our postal addresses won’t change. We’re not going anywhere.
Are there any updates to your Unite shared inboxes?
No.

For technical support please contact support@unite.eu

For all purchase order related enquiries, whether they are from a Spotmarket or Unite Network supplier please use
DE: service@unite.eu
AT: service.at@unite.eu
BE: service.be@unite.eu
CH: service.ch@unite.eu
CZ: service.cz@unite.eu
ES: service.es@unite.eu
FR: service.fr@unite.eu
HU: service.hu@unite.eu
IT: service.it@unite.eu
NL: service.nl@unite.eu
PL: service.pl@unite.eu
SK: service.sk@unite.eu
UK: service.uk@unite.eu
Are there any updates with any of your Mercateo shared inboxes?
No. You are welcome to use them as before.
Are your personal email addresses changing?
Yes. From December 1st, 2021, our personal Mercateo email addresses (name@mercateo.com) will change to Unite ones (name@unite.eu). However, if you use Mercateo email addresses they will still reach our inboxes, just don’t be surprised if you receive an email from a Unite address in reply.
How long will the old personal email addresses work for?
Indefinitely. Until most of you have updated our new contact information.
Are your websites changing?
Yes.

All our company-related content will move from its current home on mercateo.com/corporate to the new unite.eu website.

What’s staying the same is mercateo.com, our web-access-based Procurement Portal and B2B marketplace URL, together with the procurement and supplier-related pages (mercateo.com/procure) and the Mercateo support pages in all our languages.
Are your social media channels changing?
Yes. All our social media account names are changing from Mercateo Group to Unite.

We will merge our individual LinkedIn country pages into one global Unite account. If you’re already following us, rest assured, there is nothing for you to do. Newcomers can find us under the "Unite" name to stay informed about our company-wide initiatives and local market news.

Our new global Unite Twitter account, will act as a central news hub. But we’ll also keep our country-specific Unite Twitter accounts to engage in a dialogue with our local followers.

YouTube will continue to be our central video channel, with Mercateo TV changing its name to Unite. Bundling and bringing you all our global content - our latest videos and podcasts - to one digital hub.

Our other country- and topic-specific social media channels like Facebook or XING can be found under the new Unite brand as well. Make sure to connect using the Unite company name and logo.
Will all your supporting and promotional materials change? Where do I get new information from?
Eventually yes. Some of our solutions materials will be immediately updated, but quite a lot of it will still have the old Unite and Mercateo visual and verbal style. Please bear with us as we gradually update these and improve their usability.
Will the rebrand change day-to-day business transactions?
No. We will continue to uphold our high-quality standards in processing transactions for all our platform participants.
Will the rebrand impact your products and services?
Our rebranding will allow us to streamline our user journeys, products, and documentation. This means we’ll be improving the overall user experience for all our customers (buyers/suppliers/manufactuers etc.) and partners.
Will my login details change?
No. The log in details for all Mercateo and Unite Network Portal users will stay the same.
Will you be closing my account/contract?
No.
Will anything change with my account/contract?
No.
Are there any steps I need to take to coincide with the rebrand?
No.
Do I receive a new contract?
No, existing contracts remain valid.
Do I still need two different accounts (and logins) for the Unite Network Portal and the catalogue management tool on Mercateo?
Yes. Your account login data won’t change, please use them as before.

This also applies to the applications and external software (e.g. FTP programmes) with which you access the platform to upload catalogues and other files.
Will it still be possible to register free of charge on mercateo.com?
Yes.
Will the administration of the BusinessShops and catalogues stay the same?
Yes, the process remains the same.
Do I need to update any of the following: tax identification numbers, VAT IDs or DUNS?
No. All tax identification numbers, VAT IDs, DUNS etc. remain the same.
I’ve got "Mercateo" set up as a vendor in my ERP system. Do I have to create a new vendor?
No. The Mercateo subsidiaries including Mercateo Deutschland AG remain your vendor. All tax identification numbers, VAT IDs, DUNS etc. remain the same.
Do I need to update any of the following: tax identification numbers, VAT IDs or DUNS?
No. All tax identification numbers, VAT IDs, DUNS etc. remain the same.

Do you have any more specific questions about the rebrand?

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