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| Registering so that trademarks are protected helps increase the value of the product |
A bridge that brings Hue products to larger markets
In recent years, with the participation of authorities of all levels and across sectors, especially the pivotal role of the Department of Science and Technology, the development of local brands in Hue has seen many positive changes, contributing to increasing the value for agriculture produce, products by craft villages and typical goods of the former imperial capital.
According to a representative of the Intellectual Property Office under the Ministry of Science and Technology, a strong brand not only helps consumers remember and recognize products more easily but also builds trust, expands the market, and strengthens the ability of competition for enterprises. As for Hue, the greatest advantage for brand building lies in its distinctive “cultural resources” with the Hue Citadel, the Imperial City, pagodas, the Perfume river, the Ngu Binh mount, Hue people’s culture and lifestyle, traditional craft villages, the royal cuisine, etc. All of them have been becoming valuable materials for Hue unique brands.
In practice, many Hue products whose brands are taken care systematically and professionally are gradually establishing a firm position in the market. Hue cajeput essential oil is not only well known domestically but also exported to Japan, South Korea, and France. Me xung (Sesame) candy, mam ruoc (fermented shrimp past) and tom chua (sour shrimps) have found their way into supermarkets in the United States and Europe. Royal tea, Hue conical hats, and phap lam Hue (Hue painted enamelware) have become popular gifts which many tourists in and out of the country buy.
Another typical story is the journey of building the “geographical indication” for the yellow apricot blossom in Hue. The yellow apricot tree is closely associated with the Lunar New Year Days in Hue and the traditional royal lifestyle. It is not merely a species of flower, but a symbol of integrity, purity, good luck, and prosperity. Building the geographical identity, which is protected, for the Hue yellow apricot blossom has opened up a new direction for preserving the precious species while gradually realizing the aspiration of making Hue “the land of yellow apricot blossom” in Vietnam.
According to Mrs. Tran Thi Thuy Yen, vice-director of the Department of Science and Industry, up till now, the city has 4 geographic indications, 74 collective brands and 9 individual brands, which are all protected. They are valuable invisible property as foundation for Hue to develop typical products sustainably.
Exploiting and developing the brand value
Though notable results have been achieved, the development and effective exploitation of brands in Hue to date still faces many concerns. In reality, some organizations, enterprises, and people are not fully aware of the role of intellectual property. Some regard trademark registration as a mere administrative procedure, rather than an intangible asset tied to a long-term strategy for a product.
In addition, understanding of intellectual property remains limited, especially among small businesses, household enterprises, traditional craft villages, and startup groups. This has resulted in many products, though of high value, are unprotected and therefore vulnerable to copying and counterfeiting, which thereby affects the prestige and benefits of the very product-makers.
Those who directly make the products such as farmers, craft village artisans, small traders, etc., still lack information and skills in protecting and exploiting their brands. Mr. Ho Van Phuc, the owner of a workshop specializing in peanut oil pressing in Phong Thai Ward, appeared perplexed when the issue of trademark registration was raised. Considered one of the traditional family-run oil-pressing workshops producing high-quality peanut oil, well known both in and out of the city, his brand remains “nameless” because of his unawareness of the information as well as benefits he would have if his product is registered.
Another difficulty is the shortage of specialized intellectual property personnel at the local level, while the demand for consultation and support continues to grow. At present, most activities related to searches, consultation, dossier preparation, and handling of infringements are still concentrated at the Bureau of Science and Industry while intermediary organizations and service enterprises providing intellectual property support have not developed accordingly.
According to Mrs. Tran Thi Thuy Yen, Hue has built fairly solid foundation for branding, but the road ahead is moving from mere registration to the stage of effectively exploiting real values, connecting brands with the market, the digital transformation, and the product value chain.
With above-mentioned shortcomings, in order to develop brands in Hue, patience, diversifying the promotion, raising awareness of the important role of intellectual property, especially among farmers, craft villages, cooperatives, and small businesses are needed. The promotion is not restricted to seminars or training courses, but is connected with the production process of each product and specific locations. At the same time, Hue City needs to strengthen the assistance for brand registration, designing and inventions especially at universities and institutions where there are many highly applicable research outcomes.
Another important direction is to link brand development with digital transformation from tracing the origin of the product to selling and promoting it on various e-commerce platforms, and to building the story for the brand. When consumers can easily learn about the origin, its production process, and its cultural value, the trust will be reinforced in a sustainable way and the image of the land from which the product originates will also be elevated.