Trust in Change
17 October 2019
“At the heart of the consumer brand relationship is trust” said David Lossignol, head of trademarks, domain names and copyrights at Novartis Pharma AG and president of the International Trademark Association. Lossignol was speaking during the opening of the 2019 INTA Asia Conference: Brands in a Changing Times in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
“Trust is a major decision factor when consumers buy goods, and it is our job as IP professionals is to protect that trust” Lossignol went on to say. Highlighting changes that consumers are demanding, Lossignol said that brands are now expected to take a lead on global issues, and consumers now expect brands to “do good” in the world, and to have socially responsible brands. “Brand professionals, both in-house and external, are responsible for protecting a company’s reputation through its brands” he said.
Describing trademark practitioners as “true business partners”, he explained that their role is changing, and they need to evolve with the times.
Speaking during the same session, Karen Abraham, partner and head of IP at Shearn Delamore & Co, and co-chair of the conference, also highlighted the need to evolve. “If one word characterizes the 21st century, that is change” she said, explaining that the IP arena has faced, and continues to face, disruption. “Consumers have changed the way products are developed and brought to market. Their desire for value remains, but consumers evaluate products differently, using peer reviews, price aggregators and social media. IP rights are at the heart of the process to ensure the quality that consumers seek” she said.
Trademark practitioners must embrace change, and become change leaders, concluded Lossignol. Practitioners must stay ahead of the curve in terms of technology and consumers trends. “Change is constant, and we must constantly change to evolve”
