Can you Trademark a Building?

Can you trademark a building?

       Unfortunately, the answer is yes.

Part of the advantage of the sign business is that any idea that someone has is publicly available.  You can't copyright the combination of purple and gold.  You can't trademark a sans serif font heading with Times New Roman font copy.

Signs don't do much good hidden, so learning how to design signs is an unfair advantage over other industries.  However, trademarks and branding are important and sometimes overlooked concerns when designing a sign.  Most logo designers have a moderate amount of care to not copy a brand.  However, there are cases where mistakes can be made.


The Space Needle is trademarked.  When I first heard this, I was amazed.  You can't copyright a building!  Unfortunately, you can.  There is even a category in the US Patent and Trademark Office design manual called '07.09.25--Other monuments, including Tombstones, totem poles, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Space Needle'

So much for being able to use 'public' buildings as designs!  Even an iconic landmark that is (in all Seattle-ites minds) directly linked with the city is off-limits.  It happens to be a private building on private land, built with private funds, and it is a privately held trademark. 

The moral of the story:  Before investing in a sign or brand, make sure the logo designer does due diligence on any logos which might already be trademarked.  Most of this is common-sense, but please let everyone you know that the Space Needle is trademarked.  This is an over 300' tall exception to the rule!

Unfortunately, the small business shown here was broadsided on this issue, without any warning.  After investing in signage, web-site, window graphics, interior décor, etc.  You would think the Space Needle would do more to let the design community know that they have a trademarked building, but alas, big corporations aren't always that community-friendly...
 

Facilities Budget or Marketing Budget? Why not both?

I've been asked by one of my clients for some preliminary budget numbers for signage on a facility remodel.  There are huge expenditures in demolition, expansion, and construction, but the signage requirements are relatively minimal.

In a situation like this, it is sometimes best to ask, "Why go through all this trouble of a remodel, and try to save on signage?"  Isn't the purpose of a remodel ultimately to improve the customer experience or increase capacity, both of which are means to an end of more profit?  Isn't that what signage is aimed at?  It is the equivalent of producing a really great radio ad, with no phone number, website, or business name.  Great ad, but it's not going to profit you...

Of course, this client understands all this, and is open to suggestions on signage.  One of the first things we discovered in our investigation was an exposure to a high-density freeway.  There was a sign there, but it was half the size that the city's code allowed.  This will require quite an expenditure, as a new excavation, foundation, and support pole will be required.  However, in the scheme of building a huge expansion to grow the business, a freeway visible sign is worth 10 times it's expense.  It is the most valuable long-term marketing expense.

What makes the property so valuable?  Exposure to traffic.  What is the traffic exposed to?  A brand new facility.  What is this beautiful new facility?  I don't know.  Isn't there a sign there?  Oh, I can't read it.  It was too small.  It was hard to tell because of the color.  I didn't even notice it, because I was looking at the catchy sign next door.

Signs are not just the necessary evil of a construction project.  They are there for the same reason the project is getting done in the first place: to attract attention to that facility.

New company - Heath Northwest

my final project with National Sign Corporation...



First of all, I'd like to say thank you to Tim and Steve Zamberlin, and the entire team at National Sign Corporation in Seattle, WA for 4 years of a great experience.  I am proud of the time we spent together and the beautiful projects we were able to help our customers with.  National Sign Corporation is in its 99th year of operation, and I wish them the best of success as they approach their centennial.

I am excited to announce that I will be joining the team at Heath Northwest in Seattle, WA starting March 3rd, 2014.  Heath is a customer first organization which has been helping companies with distinctive electrical advertising in the Pacific Northwest since 1967.  At one time in its history, it was the powerhouse signs company in the region with the largest manufacturing plant in the area.

Currently, we have a great sales, design, support staff, as well as a full fleet of service and installation vehicles, with a top-notch crew of service techs and sign journeymen.  The current owner of Heath Northwest is Ramsay Signs in Portland, OR.  Ramsay is the oldest sign company on the west coast, having been in continuous operation since 1911.  Because of a large footprint and multiple sign companies in the region (including 3 additional companies in Oregon), we are able to offer the highest level of design, service, and overall experience to our customers.  We are also able to design, permit, and manufacture signs and ship across the country at large quantities for corporations and national franchisers.

I look forward to continuing to serve my customers, and hope to help more companies in the Pacific Northwest attract more attention to their locations with distinctive and beautiful signage.  If you have any questions or needs, or if you would just like to comment, feel free to call me at 360-259-2178 or leave a comment below.

Culinaire - high-end retail, locally owned

When you walk through SouthCenter Mall in Tukwila, WA, you don't think mom and pop shops.  This is the largest shopping destination in Washington state, including some of the trendiest and high-end retail storefronts in the entire Pacific Northwest.  Westfield's strict and comprehensive design guidlines insure that every tenant has a high-end look to keep the entire shopping experience enjoyable and truly worthwhile, as many of the consumers travel up to 2 hours to come here.

Culinaire - quality cookware and kitchen supplies

When a sole proprietor wants to open a shop inside the mall, the challenges can be overwhelming.  Patricia Washington, President of Culinaire, Inc, was up to the task.  With vision for her business, and dedication to the hard work required for the difficult path ahead, she has opened a store in the mall that looks and feels better than most of the national 'anchor' and 'name-brand' tenants within.  National Sign was able to help with her marketing efforts by providing her with sizeable displays within a cost-effective budget.  Culinaire may not have commercials on the radio, mail-outs to the entire region, or TV spots, but they are a growing and profitable business, partly due to the marketing benefits of well-designed signage.

Storefront display with push-thru letters and halo background, coupled with a double-sided blade sign

Though Culinaire has been open almost 9 months(and years and years before that with a different owner), look for their grand opening sometime this fall.  For help with signage like this, call me at 360-259-2178 or email me.  Also, please help a local business by visting Culinaire in Southcenter Mall or liking their facebook page - facebook.com/CulinaireCooks.

Working with our partners

I wanted to give some praise to Elite Commercial Contracting in Kent, WA.  They are working with us on an interior decor project, and their quality work on schedule was exactly what we needed for this project.  They are a cabinet shop, and they were able to laminate some of the sign backgrounds for us.  We special ordered 16' lengths of 3/4" MDF, and did a specialty millwork procedure called a pull-down route on our Gerber flatbed CNC router.  Elite came to our shop, picked up the custom cut pieces, and brought them back about a week later.  Timely, and very nice...

Shipping out a sign package

It's exciting when one of our exterior sign packages goes out the doors on its way to Louisville, Kentucky or somewhere else around the country!

   

I'm not sure exactly where this sign is going, but I know some restaurant in the MidWest is going to get a very attention-getting display!

Almost 2 years...

I've just modified my profile.  I now am 34.  I also am in my second year of learning to be a salesman.  Here are some of the important things I have and am learning:

1. Time Management - Just like a service position, or a manufacturing position, time is money.
2. Diligence - Consistency in filling the pipeline, following up with customers, asking for referrals
3. Goals - don't settle for people to call me, reach 30-50 decision makers a day!
4. It's not about me, it's about my masters (customers)
5. If I treat my fellow employees(and family) with the same respect I treat my customers, my customers will sense it
6. Business is simple.  Serve people, and they will want to do business with you!