The SPI Group transformed Merck's Public Affairs information and resources into a new intranet site, named the Employee Communications Connection, branded "EC²." This new online Public Affairs portal was populated with all content specific to Merck Public Affairs and is designed to make it easy for the company's 77,000 employees to locate the Public Affairs information that they need. The new EC² brand was created to symbolize a formula for communications success in a manner that would resonate within a research-oriented environment.

The success of EC² is evident by positive feedback from Merck employees and managers, but also by a surge in visits to the site. EC² currently receives an average of 6,973 daily page views, an increase of more than 250 percent over the former design.

The EC² site is linked to MC², a companion intranet site to assist Merck's 14,000 managers communicate with employees about Merck Public Affairs Issues (see MC² case study)