Harry, Brooks and Dash

Harry who? Which Brooks and why Dash? Three seemingly unconnected issues have all come to the fore recently.

Ever since Harry and Meghan announced, at the beginning of the year (a scant couple of months ago), that they would be stepping back from Royal duties and splitting their time living in North America and Great Britain, nearly every week there has been news about the use of their official names and their moves to trademark Sussex Royal.

After setting up their separate foundation in the fall, they moved to trademark Sussex Royal in the UK, as well as internationally in Canada, the United States, the European Union and Australia.

The latest news – as of this writing – is that they have withdrawn their trademark application following the Queen’s objections to their use of the word Royal.

A statement posted on their web site, sussexroyal.com, also reveals that while they retain the “HRH” prefix, (His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex), they will no longer use them since they “will no longer be working members of the family as of Spring 2020.”

Even recognizing that the British monarchy is synonymous with formality, pomp and circumstance, The Statement (intentional capitalization) reads more like a memorandum of agreement written by legions of highly paid attorneys, than an update of the status and intentions of a young, engaging couple to their millions of subjects, followers and fans.

Some of the news reports have been truly bizarre. For instance, it was reported that, seemingly as a result of their withdrawing from official Royal duties, the Sussexes’ official wedding souvenirs were no longer available from the Royal Collection’s official online shop. Oh well, but you can still purchase a red crown chew toy for your dog!

Harry and Meghan should realize that it does not matter what titles they can or cannot use. They are in the enviable position that the world knows them by their first names, much like Diana did not need “Princess” attached to her name. And the latest newsflash is that, indeed, Harry has stated that he should simply be called Harry and not Prince Harry.

They should embrace their first name status and realize it is consistent with their desire to have a less formal public image. In any event, their statement refers to them throughout as “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.” Ultimately, it will be what they do and say that will determine whether Harry and Meghan lose their royal aura.

When your brand name starts with Brooks, what follows – or doesn’t – can spark a legal fight.

Brooks Running Company, the running shoe and apparel company founded in 1914 (and a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.), is suing Brooks Brothers, the upscale clothing company founded in 1818, for trademark infringement.

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Brooks Brothers filed a trademark application on December 30, 2019 for the right to use Brooks, without “Brothers,” on eight categories of items, including clothing and sporting goods, as well as on retail stores. Brooks Running is trying to prevent Brooks Brothers from branding themselves as just “Brooks.”

This is occurring after the two Brooks have coexisted for a hundred years and even despite the fact that in 1980, a “coexistence” trademark agreement was concluded by the companies.

It is not known why Brooks Brothers has intentionally ventured into Brooks trademark territory. Surely, they must have realized that branding clothing, shoes, and stores as Brooks would have triggered a strong reaction from Brooks Running.

Brooks Brothers is privately owned, so its actual financial health is unknown. It may be that, as with so many other retailers, they are struggling in a retail marketplace that has brought down numerous other brands. It is also not hard to imagine that they may have determined that as a retailer of both men’s and women’s clothing, the Brothers moniker was hindering their ability to attract female customers.

However, for a retailer that boasts that it has outfitted 40 of the 45 U.S. presidents, Brooks Brothers needs to tread carefully. If the objective of rebranding to just Brooks is to create a gender neutral, younger brand, it needs to remain authentic. Customers, as well as other brand stakeholders, punish any brand trying to pose as something it is not. And Brooks Brothers may only hasten what it was fighting to avoid.

Finally, on the issue of gender neutrality, Mrs. Dash, the salt free seasoning brand, has announced it has rebranded to Dash. That makes sense, as they explain that Dash “captures the salt-free seasoning line’s ability to quickly and easily add salt-free flavor to any dish.” One assumes that this was the original intent when the Mrs. Dash name was created. Certainly Mrs. Dash was better than if they had named the brand “Mrs. Pinch.”

It is odd, though, that in renaming the brand to the gender neutral Dash, their web site URL will remain as mrsdash.com. If a company decides to remove a gender designation from its brand, leaving a reminder of it is ultimately self-defeating. It can raise questions of the brand’s credibility.

Any brand that stakeholders find dishonest or unreliable won’t be around very long. On the other hand, if a brand is perceived not only as trustworthy, honest and reliable, but also as authentic and genuine – well it’s hard to beat the real thing.

sussexroyal.com
royalcollectionshop.co.uk
brooksbrothers.com
brooksrunning.com
mrsdash.com