The clipboard functionality allows for quick copying of whole merged cells with their object definitions:

The properties of a copy created in this way can then be adjusted independently.  This provides a useful technique to rapidly build a template.

When a selection has been copied it will appear in the clipboard section of the interface:

Selecting the item will then update the properties interface to show the details for that item on the clipboard.  Double clicking the item will paste these properties into the current merged cell.

Note that the keyboard shortcuts are particularly helpful in this area.

Information about the clipboard can also be found in this article.