Co-authored by Claudia Spielman
Originally published in Trademark World, February 2002
There's no question about it — these are hard times. Our minds are preoccupied not only with terrorism and war, but also the economy. We are on the brink of, if not already in the midst of, a national and global recession. It is a time when short-term thinking about trademark strategy can have a very dangerous long-term impact.
During a recession, it is common for companies to respond by hibernating and cutting brand building out of their budget. Many companies, in times of recession, have the misconception that consumers buy what is cheap regardless of brand or quality. As a result, many companies make a number of critical errors as they try to retain market share during the recession: they discount their products and move to down-scale retail establishments; they slash or even cease promotional efforts; they abandon protection efforts and give up on enforcement. The reasoning that underlies
