Intellectual Property Law

If You Ask Me, Wineries Still Have a Lot to Learn About Branding

By Michael Atkins

 
Five wines among many at Seattle’s Roosevelt Safeway

I’m no marketing expert. But when you think of trademarks, isn’t the whole point to enable a consumer to purchase from you again if she liked what she purchased last time? Wineries are starting to learn this lesson, but in my book they have a long way to go. I can’t count how many times I had a nice wine only to forget what I had purchased the next time I was in a buying mood. Was it Canyon something? Ranch? Valley? River? Estate? Chateau? Cote? Mount? Creek? Ridge? All of these geographically descriptive wine brands are traditional and respectable. To me, they’re also forgettable. Wine brands I can remember break this mold. FAT BASTARD. THE SLAMMER. SHOEFLY. CONUNDRUM. TWO LEFT FEET. MEDUSA. Now those are brands I can remember.

Full post as published by Seattle Trademark Lawyer on April 21, 2009 (boomark / email).