|
I had
the privilege of speaking at the Philippine Retailers
Association (PRA) General Assembly yesterday. They
wanted to know more about protecting their brands
through their trademarks, and it was a good opportunity
to promote trademarks as intellectual property (IP).
Among
the different forms of intellectual property, trademarks
are probably the oldest, though the last to be
recognized by law and by businesses as an IP asset. A
trademark is any visible sign capable of distinguishing
the goods (trademark) and services (service mark) of an
enterprise.
The word
“brand” originated from an Anglo-Saxon verb “to burn,”
and the first trademarks were the brands used on
domestic animals, either by burning the hide or by
clipping an ear. Potters, carvers, furniture makers and
stonemasons carved their names, initials or marks on
their creations. The growth of manufacturing and
international trade spurred corporate branding to
promote their products worldwide (Howkins, 2001).
Originally developed merely as labels of ownership
through a name, logo or design, today a brand can become
the most valuable and enduring asset of any corporation
or individual. A successful brand can actually stand on
its own, making the product it is attached to a
secondary consideration for consumers. The Japanese, for
instance, after the Second World War bought Japanese
products out of pride and determination to rebuild their
economy. Meanwhile, the rest of the world, including the
Philippines,
sneered at “Made in Japan” labels. But who doesn’t look
for a “Made in
Japan”
label now on products from cars to Playstations?
Ask a
teenager in the
United States
why he insists on buying Nike products—shoes, shirts,
socks, etc.—when there are so many other brands selling
those products of the same quality with lower prices.
He’ll say because “I like it” or “It’s cool.”
It may
seem difficult to assess the monetary value of a brand,
but many corporations do it. In 2007, for instance, the
top 10 brands in the world and their value in millions
of US dollars are the following:
1. Coca-Cola
65,324
2. Microsoft
58,709
3. IBM
57,091
4. GE
51,569
5. Nokia
33,696
6. Toyota
32,070
7. Intel
30,954
8. McDonald’s
29,398
9. Disney
29,210
10. Mercedes Benz 23,568
Although
developing countries have a lot of catching up to do in
this area of IP, Filipinos can be proud of Filipino
brands making their mark in the world today. Recently,
the World Intellectual Property Organization released a
short video documentary of Jollibee as one of the
success stories of trademarks from a developing country.
(http://www.wipo.int/multimedia/en/ public_outreach/webcast/portraits/index.html)
Trademark and branding have come a long way from marking
domestic cattle to identifying its owner. Now, a brand
is an intangible asset expressed through its trademark.
Now, if only these branding strategies can be applied to
other things like, say, public service. It would be nice
if young, brilliant and talented people join the
government, and when asked why, they would simply say “I
like it” or “It’s cool.” But, that’s a different story.
****
The author is the director general of the Intellectual
Property Office of the Philippines. Comments may be sent
to e-mail address: dg_asc@ipophil.gov.ph. |
