Trademarks are used to protect intellectual property. Often, they are used for things like logos that identify a company to the public. You want to ensure that a competitor cannot simply take your logo and start using it on their products, which would lead to consumer confusion. It would be a violation of your company’s rights.
But what about something like a slogan? Do you need any sort of intellectual property protection for a slogan that your business uses, and is a trademark the right option?
Identifying information
Yes, you often can trademark a slogan because, like a logo, it is a piece of information that identifies your business to your customer base.
For example, Nike has famously used the slogan “Just Do It” for decades. They use it in commercials, and they print it on their products. As soon as someone sees those words, they know that they are likely looking at a Nike product or ad, and some people may even be able to identify the slogan more quickly than they would other types of intellectual property, like the company logo.
Slogans often work similarly to jingles, in that they are catchy and memorable. But this means that coming up with a good slogan that resonates with your target audience gives you a very valuable piece of intellectual property. It helps to build your brand’s reputation and name recognition, and this can help you connect with your customer base and make more sales.
That is why it is so important to have the correct trademarks and IP protections in place. Be sure that you carefully consider all of your legal options at this time.