A ‘brand that speaks for itself’ is the gold standard of brand development. Such a ‘suggestive’ mark communicates its message from the outset, simply, without the need for elaborate content. Very often, however, such brand words consist only of slightly modified descriptions of the products encompassed by the brand – and this can indicate trouble further down the line.
Catchy slogans are popular marketing tools for products and services. They are therefore often protected as trade marks. However, the greater their advertising impact, the stricter the requirements for their genuine use. Read what Apple had to learn in this context.
Certification marks, a concept introduced in the European Union on 1 October 2017, are intended in and of themselves, as a way to indicate the quality guarantee of a product. Attempting to do this – communicate the quality guarantee for a product – by using an individual trade mark instead, is a risky undertaking.
Eco-brands often consist of several elements that are immediately recognisable. However, one should be wary of relying solely on such a combination. Further steps may well be necessary so the brand does not hit the rocks at a later date.
A symbol of a company’s green credentials can attract customers. Under what circumstances could such terms be used in advertising? And can they be protected as a trademark?
Under what conditions can descriptive elements such as FAIR in a composite sustainability brand give rise to a likelihood of confusion?
Sustainability-focused brands are attractive. But how can you achieve effective brand protection?
Every company wants to present itself as sustainable and environmentally friendly. Brands that suggest this, or that can validly make this claim, benefit from greater popularity. Brands that score highly in terms of sustainability often achieve more sales. Yet why do these projects so often fail? And why do they fall short of providing the necessary value, given the money that has been invested in them? That’s what a well-known shirt manufacturer has recently had to find out.
How can you protect yourself from greenwashing and give your customers real proof of the sustainability of your products or services? There’s now a new way to do this.
Do you want to communicate the sustainability of your products and highlight them with a catchy eco brand exclusive to your company? Then you should be aware of the conditions for the protection of such an eco trade mark.