Top Reasons for You to Trademark Your Brands
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Top Reasons for You to Trademark Your Brands
According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a trademark is a “word, phrase, design, symbol, or a combination of them” to identify specific goods and services. The trademark helps customers to identify the source of goods and services, protects the brand legally, and helps protect it from fraud and counterfeiting. Trademarks influence customers to a great degree because they communicate the underlying trust and credibility of the business. Some of the most important reasons for the importance of trademarks for your business:
Effective Communication Tool
The name and the logo making up the trademark convey emotional and intellectual messages about the company, products and services, and reputation. A trademark does not necessarily have to be a word because it can be a design or a combination of the two. While the popularity of a design is harder to establish, it cuts across different cultures without needing to be translated and is more recognizable and memorable. Some of the world’s most popular trademarks are one word business names like Apple, Pepsi, Nike, Dell, etc.
Easier For Customers to Discover You
It can be hard to distinguish yourself from the competition. A trademark is an efficient communication device that attracts eyeballs and enables your business to stand out. When customers view and recognize a trademark, they know the company behind it, feel reassured about the quality of its products and services, and are less likely to look for alternatives. Familiarity and trust associated with the brand and trademark is often the critical differentiator in the purchase decision by customers. Moreover, the company’s trademark is often among the first things customers associate with the brand and use to look for it online when using a search engine or a social media platform. The increased traffic on the website translates into higher search engine rankings with a snowball effect on traffic, rankings, brand recognition, and conversions.
Storehouse of Value
Brands, especially when trademarked and protected against theft and fraud, are valuable company assets. When the business does well, the value of the trademark also increases. A trademark popular with the target audience allows the business to engage in brand extension more easily. For example, it is common to see luxury lifestyle brands using the same brand across diverse products ranging from perfumes to luggage, pens, clothing, and more. The core value of a business lies more in the value of its brands than in the physical infrastructure and equipment it possesses.
Easy To Obtain and Preserve
It is not hard at all to obtain a trademark and register it. The United States Patent and Trademark Office charges a nominal amount to obtain the trademark registration and for renewal periodically. The good thing is that trademarks never expire as long as they remain in use.
Conclusion
Trademarks are a valuable business asset, which is the reason big businesses go all out to register and defend them against misuse and theft by other businesses and fraudsters. A trademark represents the identity and core value of a business and is the basis of business credibility and customer trust and loyalty.
