Some readers will recognize "Shinola" as the name of a shoe polish whose popularity peaked in the years following World War II. Others will recognize it from a well-known vulgarism, in which clueless people are said to have trouble distinguishing Shinola from... well, from something else. (This is a family newsletter, after all).
Today the name stands for something quite different: for hand-made luxury watches sold in high-end stores like Barney's, Saks, and Neiman Marcus , and manufactured in – of all places – Detroit.
In addition to watches, the company makes bicycles and a number of other products; it has boutiques in Detroit, Kansas City, and New York, recently debuted in Paris, and has plans for the U.K. and Germany.
There's a lot that's interesting about the new Shinola. Start with the fact that watch-making hasn't been a prominent U.S. industry since the late 1960s. Add to that the fact that Detroit, which recently made headlines by filing for bankruptcy, hasn't exactly been a magnet for new manufacturing ventures in recent years.
And then, of course, there's the name.
The company behind Shinola says it picked the name because of its "earthy authenticity." There's no question that "Shinola" is an attention-getter to anyone familiar with the well-known vulgarism (or to the original shoe polish, which the new company has resurrected). The company's success is a testament to the enduring power of a striking brand name.
Shinola shoe polish, then and now
Equally important is the company's recognition of the importance of protecting its catchy name. Under U.S. trademark law, two or more people can use identical trademarks if their goods and services are sufficiently different – for example, "Eagle" brand snack foods, "Eagle" brand doorbells, and "Eagle" brand carburetors. So in theory, other parties hoping to cash in on the "Shinola" cachet could latch onto the name for use with products other than watches, bicycles, and shoe polish.
But Shinola is a step ahead of them. It has filed no fewer than six trademark applications indicating an intent to use SHINOLA for everything from bicycles to soft drinks (to be called – what else? – "Shinola Cola") to furniture, cigar cases, computer games, and more. As a result, it is first in line for using its mark on any or all of these products.
Which raises an obvious question. Maybe you have plans to expand use of your name to new and different products. Or maybe you have a new name in mind for products that are still on the drawing board. Have you taken steps to make sure your brandmark can't fall into someone else's hands in the meantime?
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