Greg Berube is a trusted brand thought leader who delivers results to organizations seeking to develop their brand impact and growth.  Brand health and growth is a necessity of a well-maintained and profitable organization. Without a well-formulated strategic plan Brand disaster and lost revenues are inevitable.

Who owns what – an ounce of protection?

Now that you’ve spent a considerable amount of time, developing and creating your Brand, it’s important to protect it. A poorly protected Brand is vulnerable to all sorts of trouble and interpretation.

Once the Brand occupies media space and is within the electronic community, it’s important to have the correct and proper protection. The chance of your Brand being misused is better than you think. The damage done can be irreversible and expensive to undo!

Negligence is no excuse.

Here are some steps to provide better protection of your brand:

1. FILE FOR PROTECTION

File for a patent, trademark, and/or copyright – a little will go a very long way.

2. INVEST IN LEGAL COUNSEL

It’s worth the money to engage the services of an experienced intellectual property attorney.

3. RESPECT THE WORK OF OTHERS

You’ve protected your own rights; make sure you are not stepping on the rights of others. Do not “scrounge” someone else’s idea or brand image.

4. GIVE YOURSELF A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Even if you think there’s no competition out there for your business, don’t use that as an argument not to protect your idea.

5. USE NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS

Building momentum without divulging your proprietary intelligence can be a problem. A common approach is to have everyone sign a non-disclosure agreement prior to your disclosure.

No Brand is immune from infiltration – it’s an unfortunate part of today’s fast moving workplace and business community. It takes time and money (revenue that could be focused elsewhere or profits) to fight and win. Not to mention the public relations nightmare it may produce.

Protect yourself!