Now we have seen everything. One of the world’s most legendary companies has run out of trademarks – that little blue oval emblem that reads “Ford.”
Reports say that their supplier cannot deliver the right number of blue emblems like the ones that Ford puts on the back of its F-150 trucks. And, of course, that trademark is really important, especially on a pickup where the brand smiles back at you from outside the tailgate, while inside the vehicle, the mark usually stares you in the face from the middle of the steering wheel.
Just a couple weeks ago, Ford filed almost two dozen metaverse-related trademarks. But now, the issue is not having trademarks; the problem is making them. Everyone knows why the trademark is so important. It is the finishing touch. It is the pièce de résistance. It is the period at the end of the sentence. It is the target. It is the Tower of Pisa. It is the smile on the Mona Lisa. (…Apologies, Cole Porter.) We all know what value the trademark brings.
We all know the talk about the value a mark brings to luxury brands. We have all heard people say, “I am not just paying for the name.” But, doggone it, that is exactly what people will do. They will pay for the name. That seal of approval. Boy, that is critical! That is why companies fight over trademarks.
I have seen a lot over the years. I have seen countless products pulled from the market because of their trademark. Trademark infringement. Confusion. Deception. Counterfeiting. I have seen it all.
I have also seen products fly off the shelves where one of my clients holds a strong trademark and comes out with the perfect line extension to jump into a whole new product category and leverage its valued trademark to transfer all of that goodwill from one successful product to new success.
But I have been racking my brain for days, ever since I first read about this Ford dilemma, to figure out if I have ever seen a product stay off of the market because there is a shortage of trademarks. Not a shortage of goods, or of raw materials. We are not talking about shipping delays. We are not talking about distribution problems, or strikes, or natural disasters. We are talking about a shortage of trademarks.
You can pay anywhere from $34,000 to over $96,000 for an F-150. Nothing about the trademark emblem is going to impair acceleration, performance, towing capacity, sound systems, fuel economy, or safety.
NAPA Auto Parts says the average car has over 30,000 parts. The F-150 comes with six engine options, seven trim levels, and so many options that some estimates say there are over 20 million possible configurations.
If you have ever had the chance to see vehicles assembled in real life, like at the legendary Rouge factory where they make the F-150 just outside of Detroit, you will note that this miraculous process consists of an orchestra of hydraulic lifts to raise and lower the chassis during assembly, assembled by workers using hydraulically suspended tools. These days, no one would be surprised if a chip shortage grinds the process to a halt.
But, that little badge, that nameplate, that trademark, has to be there. Reports say that Ford thought about alternatives like laser etching or retrofitting the trucks when the badges become available. Doubtless some people would have bought the car without the Ford badge affixed. Many or perhaps most would just wait. With all of the supply chain issues, we have really hit the end of the road with this one. As Henry Ford said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” No trademark, no truck.
