If your company doesn't have a unified brand, even targeted internet marketing won't help, because the first step towards an effective marketing campaign is building brand recognition. At the same time, it is also important that even small businesses take care to trademark their product titles and differentiate themselves from their competitors, because if their product is successful and they aren't careful with the legalities, the product name can become generic.
While this is uncommon, and becoming a household name may seem desirable, it has also led to some pretty large problems for companies – in the past and present. For example, Band-Aids became so popular that they became a generic term that replaced bandages, and the company's trademark was essentially useless, allowing other companies to use the term, as well. More recently, "Googling" has become synonymous with search engines, even if the search engine being used isn't Google. Even Apple's iPad is so deeply associated with tablet-style computers that many people use the word "iPad" to describe any type of tablet.
"There's tension between legal departments concerned about 'genericide' and marketing departments concerned about sales," Michael Atkins, a Seattle trademark attorney, told Associated Press on Sunday. "Marketing people want the brand name as widespread as possible and trademark lawyers worry… the brand will lose all trademark significance."
For companies that want assistance with developing a brand and marketing it correctly, partnering with a local Iowa internet marketing firm can help business owners create a unique and memorable brand.