Re: Brand Guidelines Update

[Brian Cameron <brian cameron oracle com>]

Allan:

On 04/28/11 10:12 AM, Allan Day wrote:
> On Thu, 2011-04-28 at 08:59 -0500, Brian Cameron wrote:
> > Refer to section 1.a.iii, which requires GNOME Users Groups to follow
> > these Brand Guidelines.  Since we provide such direction in a document
> > that GNOME Users Groups sign, I would consider it legal.
>
> To date, the brand guidelines have largely been concerned with the trade
> mark. Now we're expanding their scope, it might be worth moving the
> trade mark material elsewhere, or at least clarifying the difference
> between our trade marks and our brand guidelines.

Agreed.  It sounds like we need two sets of guidelines.  One for brand
trademarking and one for brand marketing.

> > But, I think that's why we normally ask the lawyers to review this sort
> > of stuff.
>
> I get the feeling we're not talking about the same thing here.

Sure.  I can appreciate that GNOME needs marketing brand guidelines.
But, historically the Wiki page you modified has been more specifically
about trademark guidelines.

I am not opposed to moving the trademark brand guidelines to a new place
if that makes the most sense.  I already suggested that the trademark
guidelines probably belong more on foundation.gnome.org anyway.  But,
if we move them, we just need to coordinate to ensure the documents
that reference these guidelines are updated.

> To me,
> the GNOME brand isn't synonymous with the GNOME trademarks: it is
> something that we have to work to generate in peoples' minds. Branding
> isn't about just applying the word 'GNOME' to things. A brand is the
> recognition enjoyed by our organisation and our products, and it is the
> semantic associations people have with those things. The GNOME
> trademarks are simply pieces of intellectual property that we own and
> that we used as a tool in generating the GNOME brand (albeit a very
> important tool).

Some people do use the terms "brand" in a "trademark" sense.  It is a
very general term.  So, it can be confusing.

> The branding guidelines are intended as a way to help people promote and
> generate the GNOME brand by encouraging consistent language and graphics
> which will in turn generate brand awareness.

Before you modified the Wiki page, that really was not the intention.
As you say above, I think the issue is that we are really talking about
two different kinds of brand guidelines.  From a trademark perspective
you need to know how to draw the logo.  From a marketing perspective
you need to know how to do the things you highlight with the brand.

> Not mentioning GNOME 2 in the brand guidelines does not mean that the
> name 'GNOME' or the GNOME logo cannot or should not be used in relation
> to GNOME 2, therefore. It merely means that people should talk about
> GNOME 3 as GNOME's primary product, and not 'the GNOME desktop' or the
> 'GNU Network Object Model Environment'.

I do not really know.  If it is necessary to modify the page where the
trademark guidelines are described, then I would just feel more
comfortable after the lawyers review this.  I wouldn't think the lawyers
would need to review anything, though, if we just move pages around.

> If there is confusion about the difference between our trademarks and
> our brand, that difference should (and can) be made clear. Likewise, the
> legal definition of our trademarks should be clearly delineated.

I agree.  Putting both kinds of guidelines on the same page is probably
not the best way to make this clear.

Brian