Marketing and Product Managers both play crucial roles in the lifecycle of a brand. Effective collaboration is essential to ensure a brand evolves in line with market and business needs and is sufficiently protected along the way.

The Lifecycle of a Brand

The lifecycle of a brand spans several stages: development, growth, maturity, and decline or maintenance. During each of these stages, marketing and product managers will work together to maximize the brand’s value and impact on the business.

Development

During the development of the brand, marketing professionals will help to define the brand’s positioning, target audience, and unique selling proposition (USP). The product management team will define product features and design for the target market.

During this phase, the brand’s visual identity and messaging framework start to take shape and need to align with the product features and design.

The role of both groups is vital when selecting and securing the proper protection for the brand.

There are several considerations when selecting a brand, including any inherent strength or weakness of the brand, any existing uses of a similar brand that may pose conflict, and securing proper protection through trademark registration.

The visual identity and messaging of the brand should be carefully considered when selecting word and design trademarks. When securing protection, there must be a clear picture of the scope of products and services that will be offered under the brand. This information will be needed when seeking trademark registration for the brand.

Growth

During the growth phase, the brand is introduced to the world. The marketing team will be involved in launching advertising campaigns, social media promotion of the brand, and initiating the overall marketing strategy.

A marketing strategy must go hand in hand with a product manager’s understanding of the products or services and their capabilities.

In this phase, marketing managers must ensure that the brand introduction includes all proper trademark markings and symbols. Product managers should also ensure that proper branding is displayed on products. During this time, trademark applications are typically pending, and proper use of the brand in the market will be necessary to secure registration.

Maturity

During the maturity phase, the focus is on sustaining the brand. Intellectual property protections for the brand are typically secured by this phase. The key is to maintain brand recognition, customer loyalty, and product quality.

If the brand is doing well and continues to build upon the established goodwill, marketing and product managers should develop a plan to maintain the brand and renew any registrations. Any evolutions in branding or the product should also be reviewed to determine if additional registrations should be secured.

Decline

At the end of the lifecycle of a brand, it may be facing a period of decline. Marketing managers may consider revitalizing the brand image or a full rebrand to bring the brand back to life. Product managers may determine if the product needs to be changed or revamped to stay relevant.

If the brand has been refreshed, a new trademark application may be filed. If the brand is undergoing a full rebrand, the lifecycle of the brand will start again. If the product has evolved and changed, a review should be conducted to determine if any additional intellectual property protections should be secured.
Marketing and product managers should work together to determine how the brand will move forward.

How Marketing and Product Managers Can Work Together

Marketing and product managers working together during the lifecycle of a brand can ensure its success and provide added value to the business. Their collaboration can also help to secure proper intellectual property protections for the brand and product.

The Role of an IP Lawyer Throughout the Brand Lifecycle

Effective collaboration between marketing and product managers is essential to ensure a brand evolves in line with market and business needs and is sufficiently protected along the way. Consulting with an experienced New York City Intellectual Property Law attorney can help navigate the needs of marketing and product managers and help them work together to secure necessary intellectual property protections to support the lifecycle of a brand.