A brand name in a new market needs to be checked before investing in communication. Three things are checked. The first is legal availability – whether an identical or confusingly similar trademark is not already registered in the target country for similar products, which could lead to a ban on use. The second is the linguistic side: meaning, pronunciation and possible unwanted associations in the local language, which a native speaker will spot within a few minutes. The third is the availability of the domain and of profile names on social media. The solution in the event of a collision is usually a slight adjustment of the name or adding a distinguishing element, not ignoring the problem. It is worth registering the trademark before entering the market, because in some countries what decides is the order of filing, not actual use.
See also: Naming, Trademark in advertising, Domain Strategy for Markets.
