Going Gaga Over Google

Is this name worth protecting?

I’m an avid blog reader, but I don’t necessarily read the same blogs every week. This week, I read Gord Hotchkiss’ guest blog for Media Post’s Inside Search. I’m not terribly surprised that he blogged on Google, what with all the recent buzz about the company, including Bush’s reference to The Google.

I wasn’t surprised either, that as a marketer, he thought Google’s defense of its trademark was lame. How easy his job would be if all those nettlesome lawyers and public relations folks would just get out of his way and let him do his job—make the brand recognizable across the landscape with the thought that if people just recognize your product or service, it will sell, seLL, SELL!

It’s exactly this shallow view of communications that, in my opinion, doesn’t hold up in the new media. Communications has converged too rapidly for that, making integrated communications a staple now and for the foreseeable future. Being in PR, I’d rather take the long view—and the trouble—to sit down with my marketing counterpart to plan strategy. Ditto for advertising.

Hotchkiss’ explanation for companies defending its trademark is that these companies are basically in the “getting complacent” stage which is just another way of saying that they’re getting lazy about their brand. On the contrary, I don’t see Google in that light at all. I see Google as an innovative, take-risk brand that has a terribly reliable product. And I think that’s worth protecting, however the company chooses to do it.

And let’s not forget the legal ramifications if a company doesn’t protect its name. That could ultimately lead to a whole different set of headaches.

Of the 20 or so responses to Hotchkiss’ commentary, eight were supportive of Hotchkiss’ view (although two of the responses were posted from the same person, making it seven people who agreed with him). I think the majority of attorneys and public relations people (and, I’d venture to guess, the advertising crowd, too) understand broader implications of brand management than what Hotchkiss stated.

Ultimately, if you’re not going to defend your brand, why work so hard to develop one in the first place?

Question of the Week: If you noticed your company’s brand being used outside of trademark, would you ignore it?