Sometimes I get so damn lazy that a month goes by and I realize I haven’t posted anything. And I certainly can’t live on Ladybrain blogging alone. So I just invested in a monthly blogging inspiration plan: I joined Birchbox, a new service that sends you deluxe (or “luxe,” as they say) beauty samples every month. I’ll be able to report back not only on the trademarks of these samples, but also on whether I like them or not. (And I may have to enlist my daughters as guest bloggers, especially when I receive hair care samples!)
So far, I can only comment on the Birchbox name itself. I love the name, but would caution them against using “Birchbox” itself as the generic name for what arrives every month. This usage, for example, appeared in the email confirming my membership:
Monthly Birchboxes are on a magazine schedule
Your trademark is Birchbox – don’t make it plural. Use a generic term after and with the trademark, e.g., Birchbox sample boxes. That way, the inevitable competitors won’t be able to say “well, we don’t know what else to call it.” Tell them what to call it and you won’t have that problem.
Anyway, stay tuned!