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Color As A Source Of Brand Differentiation: Can It Be Defended?, Byron W. Keating, T. R. Coltman

Faculty of Informatics - Papers (Archive)

Savvy marketers have long sought to exploit the psychological effects of color to differentiate their brands and create competitive advantage: IBM Blue, Coca- Cola Red, and BP Green. These are not new colors but well-known brand colors. While changes in international trademark law over the past decade paved the way for marketers to seek protection for a color associated with a brand, this case demonstrates some important challenges in defending such trademarks.