Identity crisis

Acronym trade mark in professional services

EY is not likely to be regarded as sufficiently distinctive for trade mark registration

Generic, almost

Brand extension, not be choice

You know a metal detector works because it is a GARRETT - you know it is a GARRETT because of the prominent print letters said so.

So there is value in using the brand on security business. In order words, you trust a business that uses GARRETT.

Here I am talking about the brand, not the usefulness of the scanner.  The very name itself has value in assuring security.

GARRETT should therefore be protected in the product category as well as security category.

The trade mark registration should therefore stipulate scanner product and security service. Without specifying security service in the registration, GARRETT will not be able to stop the use of fake GARRETT scanners. Note we are taking about use here.  GARRETT can still stop  the sale of fake GARRETT products.  But GARRETT should expand the registration to use in relation to security services.

How do I know what the trade mark registration should cover.  The answer is from investigating where the value of the trade mark is.  In this case, it is the scanner product and the assurance it gives to the public.

See another brand extension example below.

The brand owner can do nothing because there is no trade mark infringement. Garrett detectors are used to instil confidence in the visitors

What if this shop is using the SAMSUNG signage as a lure to see products from other manufacturers?  What can Samsung do?  Nothing much if all Samsung has is trade mark registration covering only electronic products, in other words, trade mark registration is for products themselves.  Samsung should consider registering for retail services, repair services.  This will be sufficient for Samsung to stop such a retailer.  This is increasingly common with Apple leading the field in seeking to control the customer experience.

Generic word, no way a brand

SAN FRANCISCO COFFEE will not be a name in a thousand years, ever.  Time and money went towards building such a brand would have been wasted because it is not a name to begin with.  Calling your male child BOY or puppy DOGGIE or pet hare LABBIT may be cool.  But you will never be able to make a franchise out of a name BOY should he becomes a soccer star.  BOY who?  You can never articulate a capitalized BOY , can you?

The article refer to SAN FRANCISCO COFFEE as SFC?  It very wise even if it has no aspiration to be the coffee chain with great Fried Chicken.

It should consider a brand transition as soon as possible if it has any hope of signing up overseas franchisees.

Brand damage ...control

Samsung S7 has been enjoying some unwanted attention from the airlines. S7 has been mentioned by airlines during their routine counter check-ins and pre flight briefings: passengers not to check-in this phone or not to charge or operate the phone in cabin.

The S7 is not likely to recover from this PR disaster anytime.

Even if the media storm seemed to have subsided, airlines are not taking any chances with the repeat reminders that the S7 is not to be used or charged during flight.  The memory with the public is likely to be indelible.

For Samsung to really move on, I submit that Samsung should launch S8 in quick time.  This is the best way to convey that Samsung has really moved on.  And Samsung should offer free replacement of the S7 with the S8.

It is very hard to let time heal in this case because the airlines will continue to broadcast how unsafe S7 is, out of safety precaution.

S7 is best considered as lost cause to be replaced by S8.

Brand extension by distorting the original brand

What's this leading to O Gina?

A classic brand extension situation is selling new product type under an established brand.  Had orange juice been previously sold under GINA say GINA ORANGE, then rather straight forward to use GINA LEMON.  In the case of ORANGINA, it would not be possible to use ORANGINA for lemonade.  ORANGINA is inherently restricted to orange related product.  LEMONGINA is not ideal because the public will start to be conditioned that all -GINA suffice names are related to ORANGINA. Less scrupulous might then come in to sell BANANAGINA.