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The Big Idea and Donny Deutsch Get it– Brand Equity Does Matters.
© Cheryl Hodgson 2008 | Posted on March 30, 2008
A fellow trademark lawyer sent me an article entitled “Name That Firm” which ran in the Wall Street Journal on March 17, 2008. Nice piece, but once again I came away feeling the same way I feel when Donny Deutsch on The Big Idea talks about choosing a great name for a product. The music stops playing, the pregnant pause goes unnoticed, and the discussion quickly moves on. I’m left waiting for the punch line of the joke, but it never comes. How does the name selected get protected? How does that translate to brand equity and advice for useful for small business management?
Let’s be clear. I am a huge fan of Donny, and think his show is doing great things to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in all of us, me included. However, every time the discussion turns to the “brand” or the “trademark,” as in the WSJ piece, I am left wanting more. Simply put, can we start connecting selection–with protection?
My friend Bill, the real trademark guru who sent me the article and I are beginning a lively discussion of options for trademark protection in the digital age, both good and bad. No doubt there has been a huge benefit even to trademark lawyers, who now have access to on line filings and information on a global basis. Still, there’s a dark side, namely services and people of questionable integrity that threaten to ultimately undermine the efforts of business owners, as opposed to nurturing and supporting their success. How does the average person filter out the noise from the real deal?
This blog is designed to communicate with a few of the millions of people who dream of building their own businesses, those who are on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, and those who aspire to be. The message—“Provide knowledge with integrity.” Make your choices, but do so while pregnant with understanding about the path you are choosing. Understand that the brand you build will no doubt be your most valuable business asset—so treat it accordingly.
I believe that more useable, understandable knowledge for entrepreneurs and creative professionals is still needed. Most important, where is the voice that stands out from the crowd as being accurate and trustworthy? Much of the information about building a valuable brand is one dimensional, depending upon who is speaking. If it’s a lawyer, it’s either too technical or dense to follow, too esoteric if it’s from a marketing or brand management genius.
Then, there is the consumer deception aspect, which features the latest version of ambulance chasing lawyers trolling the Trademark Office records. These Office Action chasers solicit business from applicants without lawyers when an initial rejection called an “Office Action” is issued. Many applicants without legal counsel are those whose applications were filed without legal advice by Legal Zoom or other discount “filing services.” Add into the mix “billings” for monitoring services that pretend to be from government agencies, and you’ve got a true digital jungle out there. To whom does one turn for advice?
In the coming weeks, the posts on this blog will provide business owners and entrepreneurs a path to follow, and above all trust. As we move forward along that path, we’ll eat the elephant one bite at a time, looking more closely at real life examples that connect “selection with protection.”
My goal: INSURE that you select, build, and protect a great brand!
Technorati Tags: Big Idea, brand equity, business management, filing services, Office Action, trademark lawyer, Trademark Office, trademark registration
2 Comments »
March 30th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Protecting one’s brand and intellectual capital is easy to dismiss. Cheryl’ straightforward and practical style reminds all of us to think a second time about the need to protect.
Keep up the good work.
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Protecting one’s brand and intellectual capital is vital to building longevity in your business. But it is not so easy to do and can seem overwhelming to the small business owner. Cheryl has a deep understanding and passion for the process which can calm the fears of the budding entrepreneur.