As you continue through the fourth-quarter activity–observing new opportunities to acquire and retain customers through email marketing, search engines, social media, retargeting efforts, referrals, and mobile marketing–recognize the increased value and significance of your intellectual property in development of an omni-channel experience for your consumers.
After all, this is the time of year when you most expand your digital footprint. Your trademark and trade dress remind consumers that specific products and discounts come from you. Copyrighted work on your website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more surround your logos and slogans, giving context and character to your brand.
And, of course, behind all of these efforts, both in development and execution, are your trade secrets: how you increase conversion rates; how you build lifetime value with your brand; how you address the problem of cart abandonment. The last thing you want is for an employee, intern, or independent contractor to implement your hard work with a competitor, detaching your ideas and efforts from your brand.
As end-of-year shopping steadily increases through December, keep a close eye on when and where your intellectual property is in play, and make sure it is properly protected.
