A trademark represents the distinctive sign through which a business presents itself on any given market and this is why is very important to convey the message of the brand to its customers. It can be said that the trademark is the most relevant asset of a business, as it will distinguish the company’s products or services from the ones of the competition.
A sign becomes a trademark once the company that owns it registers it on the market in which it will operate; more exactly, when it is available for commercial use. In order to create a distinctive trademark, there are several tips that could help increasing the visibility of the brand.
One of the main aspects to consider when registering a trademark in any given jurisdiction, such as Japan, Italy or Ireland, is to create a logo that respects the requirements of the local legislation (for example, certain words can’t be registered – such as offensive words). At the same time, it is necessary to avoid descriptive words – represented by words that offer a description of the product or service, due to the fact that these words do not refer specifically to the company’s products/services, as they may also be used by competitors.
In Ireland, the legislation states that the local authorities can’t register trademarks that are identical or even similar with other trademarks that have already been registered in this country. At the same time, it is necessary to decide on the colors of the trademark, as the sign chosen will be registered only for the respective colors and the company will not be entitled to promote its products or services by using other colors than the ones already chosen.
In other countries, such as Estonia, certain types of trademarks can’t be protected under the local legislation if they lack a distinctive character; for example, if the logo is created only from letters that do not have a stylized form, it can’t be registered with the local authorities.
As a general rule, words that do not truly exist (invented words, a logo created from the association of two different words) in the vocabulary of a country tend to have the highest visibility rate, as they are new for the consumer market and they offer a competitive advantage through their novelty.
Another way to increase the power of a trademark is by creating a catchy slogan to be associated with the company’s products. The combination of words and numbers can also represent a good idea for establishing a trademark and it advisable not to use three letter acronym logos, especially when the investors do not dispose of a large capital to be infused in marketing and advertising purposes.
In the situation in which the trademark is composed of several words, it is highly recommended to make the first word as memorable as possible – for example, by using foreign words, words describing animals, plants or fruits.