Benelux Office for Intellectual Property OUTREACH PROGRAM BOIP Christel Heremans Head Information & Promotion

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Table of contents > Benelux issues > Reputation survey 2007 > Activities

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Typical Benelux Issues > 3 countries > Different official languages > Different cultures and attitudes

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Reputation survey 2007 Objectives of the survey: > Changes regarding the survey in 2001 > Image of target group: Attitude of sme’s towards registration Ideas and needs about protection Expectations towards our activities > Change of name in 2006  BOIP

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property > 33 % know BOIP and/or BTO > 16 % know BOIP > All in all not a bad score

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Other offices are less known > 67 % know no office to register a trademark or a design > OHIM scored 1 % > Highest score for a trademark agent was Bureau Gevers in Belgium with 5 %

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Few interests and little knowledge of the subject > Different reasons for not registering: Not necessary  32 % Not important Never heard of Too expensive  11 % Complicated procedures …

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property What is important for Sme’s? important aspects per country accessible quickness Advise personal Legal reliable International Via internet My language Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Effects of the survey on our strategy > Focus on creating awareness: Takes a long time, but it is effective. We don’t sell registrations! > Behaviour change by applying examples relevant for sme’s: More logo’s in our promotion material  66% of the sme’s have a logo, 20 % have a word mark Relatively low costs of trademark registration Online filing is simple

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Effects of the survey on our strategy > Main target groups were confirmed by survey Starters: 19 % know BOIP 29% recognise importance of registration Little knowledge and no means All have a new name and logo Sme’s with R&D departments: 40 % know BOIP 52% recognise importance of registration Have more creations, ideas, logo’s …

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Effects of the survey on our strategy > Adapt means of communication Look into online advertising possibilities (bannering, google adwords…) Reconstruct our website

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Activities: account management > To extend our network towards partners in knowledge > Their core business is to inform sme’s on innovation and IP > Their attitude towards BOIP must be positive > Their interest in cooperation with BOIP is important Chambers of commerce Governmental projects for starters and sme’s Associations of different professional groups Trademark agents

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Activities: account management > Network is extensively growing > Several IP road shows in the 3 countries > (free) Publicity through their communication channels > Presentations for front offices and workshops for trademark agents > Corporate magazine

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Activities: direct mailing starters > As a follow-up of ‘starters days’ fair > Selected starters in Belgium > Created homepage with tips for starting enterprises > Possibility to subscribe to a newsletter > Not an unqualified success! Directory wasn’t up-to-date Starters have other priorities Registration is not a fast moving consumer good Is there a cultural difference?

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Activities: direct response marketing action > Online advertising campaign for sme’s > Google adwords > Action pages with information for innovative entrepreneur and sme’s in business services > End of September

Benelux Office for Intellectual Property Thank you for your attention.