Top Hungarian brands and what they teach us about trademark strategy in Central Europe
Famous Hungarian brands and trademark strategy, how are they related? Much more than we think! The stories of the best-known Hungarian brands clearly highlight certain key aspects.
Especially if your company operates in the Central European region. From these stories we not only understand the past, but we can also draw concrete lessons for today's market environment. Let's get started!
Unicum and high reputation as a legal shield
The Unicum brand name is backed not only by more than 230 years of history but also by one of the most consistently built Hungarian trademark portfolios. Few people realize that
the brand name,
the bottle shape,
and even the label designs are all trademarked.
But the case of Unicum also shows that a great reputation in itself creates its own separate legal basis. Under the EU Trade Mark Regulation, a well-known brand may be protected in additional classes of goods.
So, for example, if someone were to market an energy drink or a perfume with a similar name, Zwack could take action against that too. However, the trademark owner must always prove reputation with market share, advertising value, and consumer identifiability.
Takeaway: Reputation is a valuable asset, but only if it is documented and actively protected. The strategy here is not only to register but to maintain advocacy on an ongoing basis.
Pöttyös and its packaging as a legal weapon
Pöttyös chocolate curd cheese is an iconic Hungarian product. Its unique feature is the red polka dot packaging. This gives all the brand's products a distinct look that is outstanding in terms of marketing and brand identity.
However, few people are aware that the red dot packaging is registered as a non-word element trademark. This also means that if a competitor were to use a similar polka dot, the owner of the Pöttyös brand could take legal action.
Takeaway: Don't just protect the brand name, but trademark the distinctive visual elements. This is a particularly recommended strategic move in the FMCG sector.
Hell Energy and a proactive strategy as brand protection
Hell is not only one of the fastest growing Hungarian brands, but also maintains a consistent trademark strategy. On one hand, the company has widely registered the name ‘Hell’ in many countries, but at the same time, it actively monitors the market and takes action against products with similar names.
Whether it is ‘Heaven’, ‘Höll’ or other associative names. This avoids blurring the strength of the brand or confusing consumers with similar products.
Takeaway: A trademark only works if it is actively enforced. Monitoring, opposition, and warning letters should be part of the strategy.
Pick with geographical indication and trade protection together
The history of the Pick brand is a good example of how to combine tradition-based origin protection with a modern trademark portfolio. Because the name ‘Szegedi téliszalámi’ is also protected as a geographical indication.
This is important because it prevents producers in other regions from using this name. In addition, the Pick name, the logo, the paper lining of the salami, and even the graphic elements of the packaging have been registered for protection.
Takeaway: Multiple levels of protection are a strength, especially for food and traditional brands.
Conclusion
There is plenty to learn from the company-building methods of the best-known Hungarian brands, including from a legal point of view. The above examples clearly show that trademark strategy is not just a matter of legal administration, but of conscious decision-making.
appropriate timing,
territorial extension,
protection of formal elements
and reputation are all key factors that contribute to a solid legal protection of the brand.
Another aspect to consider when operating in Central Europe is to ensure that the trademark strategy works at both national and international level.
If all these things are taken into account, even our company has the potential to become a global success. However, this requires global thinking and targeted legal action. In addition, a partner with experience in trademark strategy would be a plus, for which we are here to help.