THINKING OF TRADEMARKING YOUR BRAND?

Most businesses have a logo. Is it important for all of those businesses to have trademarks surrounding their logos? How can we tell when we should?

The short answer to this question is found in our own tagline, "If It's Worth Promoting, It's Worth Protecting®". If you are spending a lot of money trying to make sure that your logo is recognized by a lot of people, it means you value it! If you value it, then you should value it enough to make sure that it is protected That’s the short answer.

The longer answer? Well, different types of businesses do different things with their logos. First, consider this. Who is in your network? Likely, it is your customers, your buyers, your clients, your patients, your guests, and anyone else who helps your business function optimally. 

It’s the people who give you the money in exchange for the products and services that you offer after they come into contact with your logo. Sure, they come into contact with far more than that, but once all is said and done, they know to associate it with that logo. Before they buy, if they recognize it physically, you’ve upgraded in brand recognition, and you must protect that logo. 

That's why it's so important for brick-and-mortar businesses that have street signs to protect their logos. Mainly, that's what customers see. They walk down the street and see a street sign with a highly recognizable logo, and they think to themselves, "I remember seeing this," And it makes them curious enough to buy something from you. If you have a brick-and-mortar business with a recognizable logo that is displayed on street signs, it’s a great candidate for immediate trademarking. 

Another great candidate is icons that are often shared online. It helps to summarize the main reasons that it is so important for all social media brands to have their logos trademarked–people click on them! Something that's clickable, something that people touch before they interact with the product or the service–that's super important. They are far more likely to remember something that stays on their home screen as a button. 

For other businesses, it might be less important. For example, if you're an accounting firm and most of your business is done by word-of-mouth and referrals, people just know you personally. Yes, you may happen to have a logo, but that logo is not where your business is coming from. People are chatting about your service, sharing it with their loved ones–that’s a different ball game. 

Think about it. If people see your logo all the time, it may be your biggest tool for brand recognition. In that case, by all means, protect it! If the only place where people see your logo is the business cards, it is definitely less important. If it is subject to change, it’s also not a good idea, of course.

This is not to say don't do it. If you believe in your brand, if you believe that you can build this into something bigger, that at some point you will be advertising, maybe you're going to build products that people will recognize through the logo, by all means, get them trademarked. It's the right thing to do. But if you are having to choose whether or not it's the right time to do it, these are all valid considerations to keep in mind!