—David Mitchel, Vice President of Norton Mitchel Marketing Successful brands often find holes in markets that need to be filled. There are numerous examples to illustrate this point. Microsoft found a great niche in the computer software market and their success made Bill Gates one of the richest individuals on the planet. Apple’s iPod was… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Marketing Pitfalls
“Hot Wheels” Casino Promotion: Apparently Not a Toy Story
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Dilution, Famous Marks, Marketing, Trademarks, TTABLast month I came across this enormous, larger than life, banner advertisement hanging from the exterior of a casino on our way to the backwoods of Wisconsin. Of course, this promotional piece took me back to my early childhood and called to mind my long lost enormous collection of Matchbox brand Hot Wheels toy cars and… Continue Reading
Another Marketing Pitfall: How to Crush a Smashing Brand Name & Trademark
Posted in Advertising, Branding, Food, Genericide, Loss of Rights, Marketing, TrademarksLast week we blogged about the dreaded D-Word and how some marketers unwittingly undermine trademark rights in a brand name by explaining that the name "describes" or is "descriptive" of the goods or services sold under the brand. We also have blogged about the danger of "taking a suggestive name, mark, or tag-line, and using it descriptively in… Continue Reading









