The Brand Tuned blog shares insights on branding, brand strategy, brand management, related intellectual property on starting and growing a brand
Dormant Last read · last published · next check
Read 5 hours ago and current, but nothing has been published for 2 years.
Although brand IP is relevant to professionals as well as to businesses, I target business owners. Designers, marketers, lawyers and other advisers need the information I share because it's a tool of their trade. But I direct my newsletters and content, such as my book Brand Tuned, the New Rules of Branding, Strategy, and Intellectual Property , at business owners. That's because businesses have…
It's true that becoming known as a business involves standing out. That means we should position our business in a way that differentiates us from what already exists in the market. What is less known is the role IP plays in enabling a business to be associated in consumers' minds with what it's offering. Business is a competitive arena so you should expect copying. Competitors will exploit any…
Today the Brand Tuned podcast relaunches . We've also just launched a new YouTube podcast channel for it having deleted the previous episodes that were posted on my own YouTube channel . So, the podcast videos have no views, and the channel has no subscribers right now! I initially set up the podcast to discover why brand professionals didn't take proper account of the intellectual property (IP)…
Thorough trademark research is essential before using a name or trademarking it. Good business design requires it. Trademarks are property like land. Just as you would first do legal searches and carry out surveys before buying physical property, so you should do thorough due diligence on a name before finalising your choice. One aspect of deciding whether a name is worth proceeding with is to…
Brand protection strategy involves considering brand protection when CHOOSING a name or sign. Most people first decide what to create, and assume that brand protection is a totally separate activity that comes later. However, the focus of brand strategy should be on whether the brand elements that will identify your brand, are legally effective and available. Only then should decisions be…
The law moves a lot more slowly than technology. So, it's always challenged by new developments in society. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Internet. One example of what happens when the law can't keep up with changes in the way society operates is trademarks. The territorial nature of trademarks sits poorly with the global, borderless nature of business nowadays. The current…
Having started my own business to have the flexibility to earn while looking after my daughters, I'd like to celebrate female entrepreneurs today on International Women's Day. I was surprised to learn that women are only responsible for incorporating 20% of all companies in 2022. While this is more than double the number since 2018 I still think the number is quite low given the huge benefits that…
When I set up Azrights in 2005, I'd just experienced the IP needs of large international businesses. I didn't know much about small businesses. I soon realised SMEs didn't know how to use IP and brand protection when designing their businesses. Nor were designers and marketers considering brand protection when designing brands. This surprised me. When you turn ideas into a business, product, or…
Chocolate is a popular gift on Valentine's day. Did you know Cadburys was the first company to package "eating chocolates" as Valentine's day gifts in the 1860s? It missed the opportunity to manage competition by applying to patent or register the design of its chocolate heart boxes. Shapes can become a unique distinguishing factor for a brand, just as colours can. A name and logo are "signs"…
S ome books are the result of extensive experience. Others are a journey of discovery to write. 'Brand Tuned, the new rules of branding, strategy and intellectual property' , is in the latter category. When I began writing it, I thought I understood what branding meant. But I realized that there was much more to it than I knew. So, I abandoned the first manuscript. It wasn't right. Then I began…