BRAND
In an expanding world market where products and services are being reviewed and repackaged in order to create a unique brand which will appeal to consumers and set it apart from competitors, building a brand name and retaining the positive values and expectations that have come to be expected based on the established reputation of the product or service is hard work. Many brands have been destroyed because of a bad step in brand building regardless of how minor the misstep because the audience is more that often ready to switch to the next best thing once there is a lapse in performance from a preferred brand name. Therefore building a brand name is one thing, ensuring adequate protection for the brand is another business entirely.
To start with, a brand is the long term relationship and reputation that a company has built with the general consumer. Basically, the brand says all there is to say about a company; Who you are, what you do, what you represent, the quality you stand for, and your relationship with the consumers and the general public.
A reputable brand name is more than often, the result of sticking to a laid down structural plan that has been followed through by hard work and commitment as well as employing the right communication methods across all media platforms and engaging consumers at every level. Hence upon laying the appropriate foundation for a brand name and solidifying the brand presence, protecting the brand name becomes the vital issue. Therefore the steps listed below will help provide adequate protection for a brand name across all media platforms including the Internet.
Brand Name Choice:
Before selecting a brand name, a lot of consideration must go to the relationship of the name to the service being offered while maintaining a creative but not mis-intepretable name for the brand. Therefore adequate research must be undertaken before picking a name. A trademark search can be carried out online or consulting websites who offer global search of the internet for brand names should be considered.
Furthermore, visiting the resident corporate affairs office in your area, is another way to confirm the availability of a brand name.
Register It:
Formally registering a brand name with the patent office or trademark office is the legal method of securing the exclusive rights to operate with your brand name. In addition you can ward off brand jackers and squatters online by registering your domain name online before it gets hijacked.
Provide what you promise:
More than often, a name is associated with the service delivery; hence protecting your brand name goes hand in hand with keeping in line with the services promised. Quality assurance is more or less the best way to ensure your brand name is protected. Negative PR by dissatisfied consumers is usually the quickest way to sink a brand name. In order to avoid this, provide what you promise!
Monitor Feedback:
It’s always wise to keep in touch with your consumers and maintain a relationship with them monitoring responses to products and services and handling any negative responses in the most customer friendly way.
Zibah: I once registered at a Local e-commerce site and as usual impulsively selected an item but had a few questions so I clicked on the “contact us” page and filled the form. By the time I got a response from them, I’d sprouted a couple of grey hairs and my bank statement had worked its magic on my impulsiveness. Their loss right? You can imagine how many Zibah-like contract they must have bummed off…..alrighty, sorry for interrupting.
There are more methods to employ in effectively protecting your brand name, you just have to be creative and think outside the box.
Much thanks to the guest blogger that sent this in, highly informative. I bet some popular brands could learn a few tips especially those in the Telecommunication line of business where most of their customer care agents seem to struggle to know as little as possible.
Yeah! Happy New Year people, it’s going to be an awesome year. Can I hear a hallelujah somebody!
P.S Picture Zibah as a fire and brimstone pastor *chuckles*
Zibah!
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