Have you Checked-In Your IP? Part 1: Top Tips to Protect Your Hotel, Hospitality & Leisure Brands
Written By
Partner
UK
As a partner in our Intellectual Property team based in London, I help our clients to strengthen their IP rights by devising global clearance and filing strategies, and by providing strategic advice on the protection and enforcement of their rights.
Brand identity and protection has never been more important for the hotels and hospitality industry in the post-pandemic tourism surge. Intellectual Property (IP) rights are not just a mere box-ticking exercise – they are a necessary and crucial business asset.
There are several reasons why you should consider your IP protection from the early stages of business planning. Here are our top tips for building a strong IP strategy.
The ABCs of branding
Building a strong brand from the early stages of your business offers several benefits. At the very core, these are:
- Awareness: A well-defined and distinctive brand is crucial in attracting potential customers and investors. A brand with a trusted reputation for quality is of great importance to consumers when making decisions around where to stay or host their events.
- Brand loyalty: We know that customers are more loyal to brands that they have positive experiences with and are aligned to their values. Maintaining a consistent international brand identity will differentiate your business in the market and can help increase search recognition, drive new customers and improve repeat business.
- Competitive advantage: A strong and well-protected brand adds value to your business – a necessity whether your business is at the budget, boutique or luxury end of the market. One of the first questions potential franchisees, licensees and other business partners will ask is whether the brand is protected with a solid scope of IP rights.
How to protect your brand
There are huge opportunities to harness the power of brands in the Hotels, Hospitality & Leisure sector. However, a strong brand must first be supported by a solid IP framework. In order to put together an effective IP strategy, it is important for businesses to keep in mind the following:
- Prevention is better than cure: Carrying out searches on existing trade marks, designs and domain names are a crucial first step when launching a new brand, undertaking a rebrand or expanding into new territories. Skipping clearance checks before investing in a new brand may prove to be a very expensive mistake if your business is found to be infringing another party’s IP rights.
- The early bird catches the worm: If clearance checks reveal no concerns, then businesses should not hesitate to register their rights. The Hotels, Hospitality & Leisure sector is constantly evolving and with the introduction of new technologies, and it has become more important than ever to safeguard unique brands and innovations.
- Think big: IP rights are territorial. If international expansion is on the cards in the near or distant future, it is crucial to set up your IP strategy to ensure you have appropriate protection in your countries of interest and to achieve this as cost efficiently as possible.
While the above list is not exhaustive, it provides a strong starting point for businesses looking to protect their rights in the Hotels, Hospitality & Leisure sector.
For further information in relation to brand protection in the Hotels, Hospitality & Leisure sector, take a look at our brochure.
Look out for the next edition of Check-In, where we’ll be sharing Part 2: The Next Step in Protecting Your Brand.
