Famous trademarks share common elements that all businesses can employ to make their brands more powerful.

The most famous brands in the world today are generally protected by a raft of trademark registrations across multiple countries.  Owners of well-known trademarks can in some ways be a victim of their own success - their brands are more likely to be copied and their products counterfeited, so often they’re forced to take legal action to defend their brands against copycats

Although they may now be internationally renowned, almost every well-known brand started as a humble local business before growing its reputation as a provider of superior or innovative products or services.

When it comes to trademarking your brand name there are valuable lessons to learn from these successful enterprises.

As you read this list of categories, think of as many brands as you can in each one:

• Mobile phones

• Online payment solutions

• Car rentals

• Fast food outlets

• Luxury handbags

While your list of famous trademarks might be longer in some categories than others, there’s probably not one that is empty. In any category or industry you can think of, there are brands that immediately come to mind - probably global enterprises whose brand names, logos and colours you can easily picture in your mind’s eye.

Here’s a table featuring some famous trademarks in 4 more categories:

These examples of famous brands and others like them often have significant common factors. 

The brand name is a single word.

While we can probably think of world-famous brands with longer names, like Johnson & Johnson and Mercedes Benz, the most powerful brands tend to use one word.

The brand name is arbitrary or even made-up.

The strongest brands have unique names which are not generic or descriptive.  Consider Apple, Starbucks, Uber etc. In our table of examples, with the possible exception of Swatch, which includes the name of the product it describes, these top brands all have unique names that are not common in their industries.

Many older brands, like Colgate, Cadbury, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, Gillette, Ford and Levi’s started as local businesses with products named after their founders or inventors. However, nowadays, with a shift to online global marketing, modern companies are choosing more original words than personal names or surnames. Simple words, which are easy to pronounce by speakers of any language tend to make the best choices.

Read our article 9 Tips for choosing a business name.

Brand owners register trademarks for names and logos

Businesses that take brand protection seriously register trademarks for all their brand assets: their names, stylised words or logos (often more than one) and slogans. Some companies even register more unconventional trademarks to protect things like unique shapes, colours, sounds or even scents.

Our article, Trademark Protection? Why register my trademark highlights how having a registered trademark can effectively save a business in the face of copycat competitors.

Famous trademarks are used consistently.

While some companies revise their logos and slogans from time to time, famous brands consistently use the same well-known trademarks. They also have brand guidelines to ensure that their brand looks the same everywhere.

Owners of well-known trademarks are careful to use their trademarks as adjectives to describe their products (not as the product name itself), eg. Kodak films, Zippo lighters, Pampers nappies. 

Brand names can actually be diluted when they become widely used as a noun or verb commonly to describe the product -  and their owners can actually lose their trademark rights. Aspirin, Escalator, Bubblewrap, Jet Ski, Weed Eater and Hoover are all terms that were once trademarked brand names, but which are now used generically to describe all similar products.

Applying the lessons from famous trademarks to your business

If you’re launching a new brand, you can easily apply these lessons but if your business is already established and your trademark doesn’t match these elements of famous trademarks, all is not lost. There are strategies you could employ to strengthen your brand and make it more distinctive, without completely rebranding.

1. Shorten long names

If your business has a long or difficult name, you could consider using an acronym or an abbreviation. Many well-known companies now use initials in their brand names - KFC, HP, IBM, DHL, H&M, M&Ms, LG and IKEA are examples that you are sure to recognise.

Some companies simply shortened a long name. Skype was originally called Sky Peer to Peer. Subway is the shortened version of Peter’s Super Submarines and Nintendo Playing Card Company became simply Nintendo.

2. Register logo trademarks for generic names

Should I register a logo as a trademark? Yes, we believe every company should!

However, descriptive and non-distinctive marks are generally not registrable as trademarks because other traders in a specific industry should not be prevented from using them. In this situation, registering a stylised logo version of your brand or selecting a distinctive brand icon to register as a trademark, could strengthen your brand and simultaneously achieve a level of trademark protection. Although you might not have a trademark registration for the word/s, your registered trademark logo should deter potential copycats.

3. Trademark a distinctive slogan to set your brand apart

A powerful and unforgettable slogan is a very effective way to differentiate your brand from others like it, especially if your brand name is not original. It can also help to convey the unique value or superior quality that your brand represents. Levi’s says, “Quality never goes out of style.” Amex says, “Don’t live life without it.” IMAX tells us to “Think Big” and Airbnb says you “Belong Anywhere.” What does your brand have to say?
Read Can I trademark a slogan? 

Your name, logo and slogan are all key brand assets that you can use to make your business stand head and shoulders above the competition. Protecting them with registered trademarks is an integral part of establishing and building your brand, which could well end up being your most valuable asset.

It will only take you a few minutes to submit your trademark application using our straightforward 5-minute application process.

It’s never too early to protect your brand, but it could be too late.