Stopping the Theft of Trademark and Proprietary Identity
Project Scope
In January 2022, Coca-Cola Nigeria Ltd. (CCNL) approached Precise to sway the court of public opinion in the face of ongoing litigation through the use of third-party advocacy and call for proper scrutiny of Pop Cola’s action in light of globally accepted conventions on intellectual property rights. The local beverage producer had imitated key elements of the Coca-Cola brand, such as the "Coca-Cola script and ‘dynamic ribbon device’.
Objectives
Use credible third parties to plead our case in the Court of Public Opinion.
To be rightly positioned for a favourable resolution of the issue.
Accelerate business continuity and consolidation.
Our Approach
FIRST STEP
The agency engaged the services of an IP lawyer to review the trademark and intellectual property laws in order to facilitate an informed commentary on brand markers. We equally engaged key opinion leaders and independent groups to review similar cases of trademark infringement.
SECOND STEP
The agency facilitated a consumer advocacy network to initiate media advocacy on the impact of Coca-Cola’s stolen trademark by Pop Cola on Nigerians.
THIRD STEP:
The agency commissioned respected professionals to produce insightful and analytical write-ups that will serve as buffers for objectivity and balance to ensure that a moral burden is put on relevant regulators.
NEXT STEPS:
Agency created a sustenance plan through corporate stature growth especially in the north to ensure business acceleration and consolidation while continuously monitoring the litigation.
Result
Massive editorials and opinion pieces were published and aired in key print and local broadcast media with legal and business reviews from various angles where similarities of both brands’ markers were identified and the economic implication of Mamuda beverages activities.
The use of food and beverage blogs to trend reviews while leveraging social media influencers to trend blog stories drove the social media conversation to over 143 Twitter mentions.
Outcome
Discussions in favor of Coca-Cola’s legal pursuit reached over 56% positive share of voice.
The case was adjourned till October, while Mamuda Beverages is calling for an out-of-court settlement.