Pharmaceuticals & Veterinary Products Brand Names
Each Pharmaceutical and Veterinary product produced or registered by AdvaCare has a product brand name, which is unique and must not be the same with other products. Product’s Brand Name is not to be confused with the generic product name, which usually refers to the name of a pharmaceutical or veterinary ingredient (for example, Amoxicillin is the generic name, and AmoxiCare is the brand name). Products’ Brand Names are important to track and keep records of, as it is written on product packaging and is repeated across every order produced of the same generic product.
Marketing Dept. is responsible for giving, recording and tracking all the brand names used for AdvaCare products. All the brand names are currently being recorded in the spreadsheet “AdvaCare Brand Names (2023)” in the file server:
Z:\Shared drives\AdvaCare Marketing Control\AdvaCare Brands
The Brand Names spreadsheet contains three categories:
● Pharmaceuticals
● Veterinary
● Supplements
Each category contains the list of all products in AdvaCare range, the list of their Brand Names, Forms (same products can be available in more than one form, which is indicated in this column), indication of whether each product was produced or registered.
The spreadsheet is referred to across multiple departments in the company as the main centralized source of information to see every product’s brand name. Products’ brand names are included in:
● The mockups of packaging designs which are printed for every order;
● Product images used for marketing and sales purposes;
● Registration documents used to register pharmaceutical and veterinary products in other countries.
Therefore, the spreadsheet must remain clean and accurate at all times.
When a new Brand Name must be given?
● A new product is confirmed for production (AM Dept. is starting an order for specific products);
● A new product is confirmed for registration (BD Dept. is starting the registration process for specific products);
● A new product launch (as part of the product development process for new product ranges).
BD or AM Dept. will send a task to Marketing Dept. Manager with the list of products confirmed for order/registration and ask to provide the brand names of those products.
Marketing Dept. Manager MUST first check the existing spreadsheet to see if the product has already been recorded (produced or registered).
Checking Existing Products’ Brand Names
1. Once there is need for AM/BD Dept. to confirm the existing or new brand names of a product or a list of products, a task is sent by BD Salesperson or AM Salesperson to Marketing Dept. Manager under a specific Order/RFQ or Registration that they are handling.
2. Marketing Dept. Manager needs to first cross check the product or product list with the existing spreadsheet to make sure that there is no already assigned brand name.
3. To check the existing brand names, identify the main ingredient(s) of the product.
If the product name contains only one ingredient (there is no “+” symbol in the product name), copy the name excluding the form (Tablet/Capsule/etc.) and search by this name in the spreadsheet. Set the search to check across all the tabs in the spreadsheet.
Note: To search across all the tabs in the spreadsheet, first use ‘Ctrl’ + ‘F’ keys and paste the ingredient’s name. Before pressing ‘Enter’, click on 3 dots on the left from the ‘x’ button which represents More Options. In ‘Find and replace’ popup make sure that Search ‘All sheets’ is selected (it is usually selected by default) and click ‘Find’. The spreadsheet will start showing results one by one as the button ‘Find’ is clicked, until there are no more search results and the note ‘No more results found, looping around’ is displayed.
If there are no search results, or the results contain only products with “+” in the name, then there is no existing brand name for this product.
If the product name contains two or more ingredients (there is a “+” symbol in the product name), still copy only the first ingredient name and search by this name in the spreadsheet, with the setting to search across all the tabs in the spreadsheet. Check carefully the results and see if any product has the same combination of ingredients (separated by the “+” symbol) to determine if this specific combination already has the existing brand name.
4. If there is an existing brand name for this product, then this brand name will need to be provided to BD Salesperson or AM Salesperson who requested it. Send a task to AM Salesperson or BD Salesperson with the final brand name of the product.
5. If the new product has a different form from what is recorded in the spreadsheet, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to update the “Form” column by adding the new product’s form (keeping the same format as the rest of products).
6. Highlight the change in the Brand Name spreadsheet in light green as all new products will be assessed further on a scheduled basis whether it is needed to add them to the website and catalogs.
7. If there is no existing brand name, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to create a new brand name and assign it to the product.
Creating new Product Brand Names
Once it is identified that there is no existing brand name for a product, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to create a new brand name and record it in the Brand Names spreadsheet.
Before starting to create a new product brand name, Marketing Dept. Manager MUST make sure to read and memorize the rules described below.
Rules to follow when creating a new Product Brand Name
There are 6 types of brand names:
1. UNIQUE BRAND NAME:
Each product has to have a unique brand name - brand names of products with different ingredients must have different brand names.
COMMON NOMENCLATURE:
Each product brand name must have a unique first part, and have “-Care” in the end.
UNIQUE NOMENCLATURE:
The unique part of the brand name must contain a part of the ingredient name, or part of all the ingredients names (if there is more than one ingredient). For example:
● Amlodipine Tablet has the brand name “AmloCare”, where “Amlo” comes from the name of the ingredient “Amlodipine”;
● Cefixime + Ofloxacin Tablet has the brand name “CefloxCare”, where “Ce” is from “Cefixime” and “flox” is from “Ofloxacin”.
It is acceptable to take any part of the ingredient name, as long as the brand name sounds good, meaning has a flowing sound that is easy to pronounce, and is corresponding to the ingredient(s) name.
2. SAME INGREDIENTS, DIFFERENT FORM:
Products with the same ingredient(s) but different forms must have the same brand names. For example, Amoxicillin Capsules and Amoxicillin Powder for Injection must have the same brand name.
For products with two or more ingredients (separated with a “+” symbol in the product name), the brand names must be the same only if ALL the ingredients match. For example, Paracetamol Tablet, Paracetamol + Caffeine Tablet and Paracetamol + Chlorpheniramine Maleate Tablet must all have different brand names, as they all contain different ingredients and are, in essence, totally different products. At the same time, Paracetamol + Ibuprofen Tablet and Paracetamol + Ibuprofen Oral Suspension will have the same brand as these two products have exactly the same ingredients (both of the ingredients are the same).
3. SAME MAIN INGREDIENT, DIFFERENT SALTS:
Products that don’t have the symbol “+” in the product name, but have at least 2 words in the name (excluding the form), for example Fosfomycin Calcium (main ingredient + salt), must have the same brand name as the product that contains either only one word of the same ingredient (e.g. Fosfomycin) or two words with the second word being different (for example, Fosfomycin Sodium). This indicates different forms of the same main ingredient or ingredient salts, therefore must have the same brand name.
4. SAME INGREDIENT, DIFFERENT PRODUCT RANGE:
Products with the same ingredients between Pharmaceuticals and Veterinary ranges must have the same brand names. For example, Amoxicillin in Pharmaceuticals range and Amoxicillin in Veterinary range will have the same brand name = AmoxiCare.
5. LARGE VOLUME INJECTIONS (LVP):
Large Volume Injections that come in the bottles of big volumes (starting from 500ml and bigger), that don’t have a box DO NOT have a brand name. Only generic product name is used in packaging designs of large bottles. Any volume of Large Volume Injection that has a box (100ml, 200ml, 250ml, etc.) does have a brand name.
6. OTC PRODUCTS:
OTC Products (over the counter, no prescription) can have a different approach in creating the brand names: instead of focusing on the name of the ingredient(s), it is advised to focus on the purpose of the product. For example:
● “-Care”:
Contraceptive OTC medications have the brand name PreventaCare.
● Descriptive brand name:
OTC medications have brand names such as SinuCold.
● Generic brand name:
OTC medications have brand names such as Cold Relief, Cold&Flu Relief, Decongestant (Anti-Cough) and GasRelief.
Note: Market research should be conducted by Marketing Dept. Manager to check the brand name logic used by majority of competing large brands, and confirmed by Product Manager. Brand name nomenclature “-Care” vs. descriptive brand name vs. generic name shall be decided according to the following logic:
● “-Care”:
As the variable part of the brand name, the first part, is limited in its descriptive ability, is it descriptive enough for a consumer to know the indication within 1-2 seconds of viewing? If not, “-Care” cannot be used.
● Descriptive brand name:
Can combining 2 words that describe the indication of the product be understood by a consumer in 1-2 seconds of viewing? If not, a descriptive brand name cannot be used.
● Generic brand name:
If “-Care” and Descriptive brand names cannot be used and/or a majority of competing large brands use only a generic name, then a descriptive generic product name should be used that makes the product immediately identifiable to a consumer.
Creating new Product Brand Name
Below is the detailed process of creating a new brand name for any product.
1. Creating a new brand name MUST follow the rules described above.
2. Before deciding the new brand name according to the above rules, search the product on google to identify whether there are synonyms or more common brand names to the product (for example, Aspirin for Acetylsalicylic Acid, Adrenaline for Epinephrine, Analgin for Metamizole, or Ferrous+salt used in relation to iron products, etc.). It is acceptable to create the brand name based on the most common names of the product, even if the generic product name is different. For example, AspiCare for Acetylsalicylic Acid and AdrenaCare for Epinephrine.
3. While deciding the new brand name according to the above rules, Marketing Dept. Manager must make sure that the desired brand name doesn’t already exist in the spreadsheet for another product. To make sure of that, search the desired brand name across all tabs of the spreadsheet (it must not be repeated across both Pharmaceuticals and Veterinary ranges, regardless of which range the new product belongs to).
4. After Marketing Dept. Manager defined the desired brand name, Marketing Dept. Manager must cross check the international trademark status of the desired brand name. To do that, Marketing Dept. Manager can use
Global Brand Database on WIPO Portal
.
To find out the brand name status, paste the desired brand name in the search bar of the page above.
Assess the results of the search:
● Is the desired brand name already registered in the country of destination of the Order/Registration?
If the answer to both questions is no, Marketing Dept. Manager can move forward to propose the desired brand name for approval.
If the answer to one or both questions is yes, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to change the desired brand name to the one which is not registered in the country of destination or by any multinational pharmaceutical company.
5. After the desired brand name is verified through the WIPO trademark portal, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to fill out the new product, new product’s form and the new brand name in the spreadsheet according to alphabetical order and highlight the newly created row in light yellow.
6. Marketing Dept. Manager must send a task to the Director and Product Manager to confirm the desired brand name.
7. After the brand name is confirmed or revised by the Director and Product Manager and is final, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to change the highlight color from yellow to light green, indicating that a new product is added to the range with the confirmed brand name.
Note: it is important to highlight the newly added and confirmed products in light green, because later on Marketing Dept. Manager needs to arrange to add the new products to the Website and Catalog on a quarterly basis, as described in relevant SOPs.
8. If the new product is confirmed for Order or Registration, mark either “Produced” checkbox or “Registered” checkbox in the spreadsheet.
9. Send a task to AM Salesperson or BD Salesperson with the final brand name(s) of the product(s).
Supplements Product Brand Names
Supplements Brand Names follow slightly different logic from Pharmaceuticals & Veterinary Brand Names.
Brand Names of Supplements are recorded in the same gsheet as Pharmaceuticals & Veterinary Brand Names, in a separate tab: “AdvaCare Brand Names (2023)” in the file server:
Z:\Shared drives\AdvaCare Marketing Control\AdvaCare Brands
When a new Brand Name must be given?
● A new product is confirmed for production (AM Dept. is starting an order for specific products);
● A new product is confirmed for registration (BD Dept. is starting the registration process for specific products);
● A new product launch (as part of the product development process for new product ranges).
BD or AM Dept. will send a task to Marketing Dept. Manager with the list of products confirmed for order/registration and ask to provide the brand names of those products.
Marketing Dept. Manager MUST first check the existing spreadsheet to see if the product has already been recorded (produced or registered).
Checking Existing Products’ Brand Names for Supplements
1. Once there is need for AM/BD Dept. to confirm the existing or new brand names of a product or a list of products, a task is sent by BD Salesperson or AM Salesperson to Marketing Dept. Manager and Product Manager under a specific Order/RFQ or Registration that they are handling.
2. Marketing Dept. Manager needs to first make sure that all necessary information is provided in the task:
● Suggested Product Name;
● Product Form;
● Full composition, including all ingredients and amounts of each ingredient;
● Product Packaging details;
● Any additional information, such as who the product is intended for (adults or children), condition it is intended for (diabetes, asthma, etc.).
3. If some important information is missing, Marketing Dept. Manager can ask via task to provide the missing information.
4. After the task is read and understood, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to coordinate with Product Manager and get further instructions before moving forward.
5. Product Manager needs to reply via task to inform Marketing Dept. Manager whether:
a. the new product should be added to existing product as a variation of formulation and share the existing product brand name with small difference (for example, MAX is added to a more advanced formulation); or
b. no difference and keep the same brand name; or
c. a stand alone new product which requires a totally new brand name.
6. If the product is confirmed to be added to existing product range and have the same or similar brand name to the existing product, add the product and its brand name to the Brand Names spreadsheet, including Product Name, Brand Name, Form.
7. Highlight the change in the Brand Name spreadsheet in light green as all new products will be assessed further on a scheduled basis whether it is needed to add them to the website and catalogs.
8. If the new product is confirmed for Order or Registration, mark either “Produced” checkbox or “Registered” checkbox in the spreadsheet.
9. If it is decided to use an existing brand name for the product, then this brand name needs to be provided to BD Salesperson or AM Salesperson who requested it. Send a task to AM Salesperson or BD Salesperson with the final brand name of the product.
10. If there is no existing brand name, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to create a new brand name and assign it to the product.
Creating new Product Brand Names for Supplements
Once it is identified that there is no existing brand name for a product, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to create a new brand name and record it in the Brand Names spreadsheet.
Before starting to create a new product brand name, Marketing Dept. Manager MUST make sure to read and memorize the rules described below.
Rules to follow when creating a new Product Brand Name
There are 3 types of brand names:
1. UNIQUE BRAND NAME:
Each product has to have a unique brand name - brand names of products with different compositions must have different brand names.
COMMON NOMENCLATURE for Supplements:
Each product brand name must start with “Adva-”, and have a unique second part.
UNIQUE NOMENCLATURE:
The unique part of the brand name must contain a part of the product name, part of the ingredient names, or a word associated with the product. For example:
● Calcium Drops have the brand name “Adva-Cal”, where “Cal” comes from the name of the ingredient “Calcium”;
● Cranberry Extract Softgels have the brand name “Adva-Cran”, where “Cran” is from “Cranberry”. It is acceptable to take any part of the ingredient name, as long as the brand name sounds good, meaning has a flowing sound that is easy to pronounce, and is corresponding to the ingredient(s) name.
● Anti-Constipation Syrup has the brand name “Adva-LAX”, where “LAX” comes from the synonym of “anti-constipation”, “Laxative”, which is easily associated with the product name.
● Diabetes Blood Sugar Support has the brand name “Adva-Diabet”, which is part of the product name.
● Hair, Skin & Nails Support has the brand name “Adva-HSN”, where “HSN” is the common abbreviation for “hair, skin & nails”.
● Immunity Support has the brand name “Adva-Shield”, where “Shield” is a word associated with immunity support, and reflects protection from viruses.
2. DESCRIPTIVE BRAND NAME:
Some products instead of a brand name might have a descriptive brand name, for example:
● Natural Cough Syrup has the brand name “Natural Cough Relief”.
3. NO BRAND NAME:
Some products which have product names that cannot be easily recognized with a shortened form in the brand name, or cannot be easily associated with any short word, will not have a brand name. For example:
● Apple Cider Vinegar Tablets/Capsules do not have a brand name.
● Krill Oil Softgels do not have a brand name.
● Resveratrol Capsules do not have a brand name.
Note: Market research should be conducted by Marketing Dept. Manager to check the brand name logic used by majority of competing large brands, and confirmed by Product Manager. Brand name nomenclature “Adva-” vs. descriptive brand name vs. no brand name shall be decided according to the following logic:
● “Adva-”:
As the variable part of the brand name, the second part, is limited in its descriptive ability, is it descriptive enough for a consumer to know the indication within 1-2 seconds of viewing? If not, “Adva-” cannot be used.
● Descriptive brand name:
Can combining 2-3 words that describe the indication of the product be understood by a consumer in 1-2 seconds of viewing? If not, a descriptive brand name cannot be used.
● No brand name:
If “Adva-” and Descriptive brand names cannot be used and/or a majority of competing large brands use only a generic name, then only generic product name (with no brand name) should be used that makes the product immediately identifiable to a consumer.
Creating new Product Brand Name for Supplements
Below is the detailed process of creating a new brand name for any new Supplement product.
1. Creating a new brand name MUST follow the rules described above.
2. Before deciding the new brand name according to the above rules, search the product on google to identify whether there are synonyms or more common brand names to the product (for example, Laxative for Anti-Constipation, Iron for Hemoglobin Support, Fiber for Psyllium, etc.). It is acceptable to create the brand name based on the most common names of the product, even if the generic product name is different. For example, Adva-Fiber for Psyllium Powder and Adva-LAX for Anti-Constipation Syrup.
3. While deciding the new brand name according to the above rules, Marketing Dept. Manager must make sure that the desired brand name doesn’t already exist in the spreadsheet for another product. To make sure of that, search the desired brand name in Supplements tab of the spreadsheet.
4. After Marketing Dept. Manager defined the desired brand name, Marketing Dept. Manager must cross check the international trademark status of the desired brand name. To do that, Marketing Dept. Manager can use
Global Brand Database on WIPO Portal
.
To find out the brand name status, paste the desired brand name in the search bar of the page above.
Assess the results of the search:
● Is the desired brand name already registered in the country of destination of the Order/Registration?
If the answer is no, Marketing Dept. Manager can move forward to propose the desired brand name for approval.
If the answer is yes, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to change the desired brand name to the one which is not registered in the country of destination.
5. After the desired brand name is verified through the WIPO trademark portal, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to fill out the new product, new product’s form and the new brand name in the spreadsheet according to alphabetical order and highlight the newly created row in light yellow.
6. Marketing Dept. Manager must send a task to the Director and Product Manager to confirm the desired brand name.
7. After the brand name is confirmed or revised by the Director and Product Manager and is final, Marketing Dept. Manager needs to change the highlight color from yellow to light green, indicating that a new product is added to the range with the confirmed brand name.
Note: it is important to highlight the newly added and confirmed products in light green, because later on Marketing Dept. Manager needs to arrange to add the new products to the Website and Catalog on a quarterly basis, as described in relevant SOPs.
8. If the new product is confirmed for Order or Registration, mark either “Produced” checkbox or “Registered” checkbox in the spreadsheet.
9. Send a task to AM Salesperson or BD Salesperson with the final brand name(s) of the product(s).