Why conduct brand research?

Conducting brand research is of great importance. Failing to do so exposes you to significant risks. There’s a chance that at a later point, when your brand is already well-established in the market, you might suddenly be forced to change your brand because it infringes upon the older rights of someone else. It’s crucial to investigate whether your brand conflicts with an older, protected trademark.

Arena Case

Do you remember the Arena case? The stadium hadn’t done its homework well and hadn’t conducted thorough research into the availability of the name ‘Arena.’ Hotel Arena, located near Amsterdam’s Oosterpark, successfully objected through legal means. The Arena stadium had to change its name. Eventually, the case was settled. In exchange for the right to continue using the name, the stadium paid Hotel Arena around €1.5 million.

Merkonderzoek Arena

Brand Research: Quick Scan or Full Search?

It’s obvious that the most comprehensive research yields the best results. Unlike a Quick Scan, thorough research not only identifies (almost) identical trademarks but also highlights those that bear some resemblance and could potentially pose obstacles.

However, comprehensive research is also significantly more costly than a Quick Scan. Ultimately, you decide how deep you want to dig and how much money you’re willing to invest in brand research. But regardless of the type of research you choose, the most important thing is to conduct some form of research. Introducing a new brand without brand research is highly unwise.

Brand Research: Word mark or Logo

Brand research is not only recommended for new word marks but can also be very useful when introducing a new logo. With brand research, you assess whether there are older logos registered that bear similarity to the new visual mark.

Merkonderzoek scan
Trademark Searching

Do you want to enter the market safely with your brand?

Are you introducing a new brand, and do you want to know of any risks? Then it’s advisable to conduct a trademark search. Send this form, and our legal team will contact you within 24 hours with information about the possibilities, the procedure and the costs.

Miriam den Boogert Senior Trademark Attorney +31 (0)20 8204018

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Case Gletcher

Fancy a glacier as a drink?

 

A customer wanted to launch an iced drink in Europe with the name Gletscher (translated: glacier). Sounds nice and cold, and visually a name like that works well. However, the research budget was limited. Our advice was to at least do some preliminary investigation and it’s a good thing we did that check.

What came out of the brand research for Gletscher?

Merkonderzoek Gletcher

The five most frequently asked questions about Brand Research

1. Is research into a trademark mandatory?

Research into older similar brands is not mandatory, but we highly recommend it. It can be very disheartening to find out that someone else has prior rights to a similar trademark at a later stage.

2. What kind of trademark research is possible?

Broadly speaking, there are two types: the Quick Scan, which is a search for (more or less) identical brands and a Full Search, which is an extensive search for identical and similar brands.

3. What is a Quick Scan?

A Quick Scan is an investigation into more or less identical brands. This will give you a very quick overview of the biggest obstacles. We can do a Quick Scan in any country in the world. We always have results and advice ready for you within 1-2 working days and costs are limited. It’s important to note that this is not the most comprehensive research. You can only get a complete picture of any plausible risks with a Full Search.

4. What is a Full Search?

A Full Search looks for identical and similar brands. This research digs much deeper than a QuickScan, which explains why it’s more time consuming and more expensive than a Quick Scan but also why it gives you a more complete picture.

5. Can I check a logo as well as a wordmark?

Yes, Chiever also researches logos or images. However, there is no Quick Scan available for this type of search. You will always have to do a Full Search, which is an extensive search for identical and similar brands.

Do you have a question about brand research that’s not listed here? Feel free to contact us!