Strong brands - what do I have to know?

Brands are an integral part of our everyday lives. As both consumers and entrepreneurs: we trust in strong brands. Brands facilitate orientation in the market and provide security in a consumerist world. We take a look at the phenomenon of brands and give an overview of the most important facts about their names.

What is a brand or trademark?

A strong brand makes it easier for consumers to orient themselves in the market. If you buy a branded product, you don't only buy the object itself, but also a promise of quality. From a business perspective, managing a brand is an instrument of product policy. Clever brand management can build interchangeable and everyday products, individuals, organizations and more up to unique lifestyle representatives.

Legally speaking, the concept of a trademark is more narrow: It is a recognizable sign, design or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source from those of others.

What types of trademarks are there?

There are different types of trademarks. The most common forms include:

• Word marks. They consist exclusively of words, numbers, letters or other punctuation. Example: NameRobot
• Figurative marks. They consist of images, image elements or illustrations and do not contain word elements. Example: The Mercedes star.
• Combined marks. They consist of a combination of textual and graphic elements.

By the way: Our Trademark Check facilitates the search for word marks and combined marks. Within a few minutes, you will receive an overview of the registration status of any name for the trademark databases of different countries.

What is a good brand name?

There is probably no single ideal brand name, because you need to evaluate for each case which aspects are most important. But there some recommendations that are universal for almost all brand names. A good brand name...

• ... evokes positive emotions.
• ... ignates your imagination.
• ... provides orientation in the market.
• ... gives a sense of identity and individuality.
• ... is original.

Here's what our attorney Dennis Breuer has to say on the subject in an interview with German magazine Managermagazin: "A good brand name should be original, easy to remember, easy to pronounce and not remind you of other products or services".

How do I secure a brand name?

To register a brand name as a trademark, you first need to find the authorities which can grant you protection. For example, in Germany you can secure a brand name the following ways:

• Trademark protection in Germany: Registration at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA). The protection only applies in Germany.
• Trademark protection in the EU: Registration with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The protection applies in the EU.
• Worldwide trademark protection: Registration of a IR brand with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) . The protection applies worldwide.

Please note: the offices do not check whether this or a similar trademark has already been registered. This must be done previously throughyour own research. Related questions and answers about trademarks are available on our FAQ about trademark law.

No matter how well you do your research: the trademark application should in any case be carried out by a qualified attorney. We therefore recommend handing over the trademark application process to a professional attorney.

What makes a successful brand?

In order to be successful, a brand has to meet four criteria of the Super Marque model. Characteristics of successful brand are:

• Usefulness: Does the brand offer something that is important or desirable?
• Interest: Does the brand offer something that makes it interesting ?
• Uniqueness: Is the brand different or better than the competition in at least one important respect?
• Consistency: Does the brand provide a coherent experience at all contact points?

Now you have the basic knowledge for building a strong brand. Next step: find a brand name. You can easily do this with our professional name tools. Good Luck!