Your online brand reputation management has gotten much harder due to Google adjusting its U.S. trademark policy (and bringing its existing policy more in line with the industry standard) to allow some ads to use trademarks in the ad text. What that means to you, your company, or your clients online asset reputation can be devastating.
Under the old policy, a site that sold several trademark brands or product lines may not have been able to highlight the actual brands they sell in ad text. Under the new policy, advertisers can create specific ads for each of the brand assets that they sell.
online brand management, product line management, online brand asset reputation
Under certain criteria, advertisers can use trademark terms in ad text in the U.S. even if they don’t own that trademark or have explicit approval from the trademark owner to use it. This change will help to create more narrowly targeted ad text that highlights a merchant’s inventory.
Google is aiming to help advertisers navigate the often treacherous trademark waters by adding new functionality to its Search Based Keyword Tool (google.com/sktool/). Just enter your website if your site contains those brands, you may see a list of brands on the left side of the page. When you click on any of those brands you’ll notice a column titled, “Extracted from webpage.” Those landing pages may be opportunities for you to show re-sale or informational ads.
Your Online Reputation Management Could Be At Risk
Have you heard of a MLM program called Carbon Copy Pro? Do a search on Google for it and you will see tons of paid search ads and natural ranked pages killing this brand. The natural pages are targeting the term Carbon Copy Pro and Carbon Copy Pro Scam. The paid ads have has not been able to use the brand in their ads but they come close like CC Pro, Carb Copy Pro, or Carbon C Pro. All of these are targeting consumers to “don’t buy until you read this”. Should you read it you will realized that the majority of these web pages are actually promoting the company and have great things to say but if you scan Google you might think differently of the brand.
So how does Google’s change in their copyright policy make any difference for this specific companies’ online brand management? Much harder because paid ads may now have the ability to use the exact brand name of your company! Let say you buy leads from a lead agrator and they offer multiple vendors in your industry. Guess what? They now have the ability to use your brand name in their paid ads.
So make sure you are doing online press releases, social media profiles, adding additional content to your website, and maybe so paid advertising now so that you beat others to the punch.
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