Strategy
Part of Brand management for franchises: ownership, usable standards and a recovery plan
Dunkin' name change and a franchise asset-retirement checklist
Dunkin' dropped 'Donuts' from its name in 2018 and 2019. Here is the franchise checklist that name change implies for signage, listings and registrations, and what the FDD tells buyers about the marks.
What to take away
- Dunkin' Brands announced on September 25, 2018 that its chain would drop "Donuts" from its name. The new name took effect in January 2019.
- A customer-facing name can change while registrations, packaging, signage and online listings keep the old word.
- Copyright protects original logo artwork, while a name or slogan is generally a trademark matter. Keep both sets of records.
- A franchise asset retirement needs an owner for each step and a placement list, or the old name outlives the new one.
Dunkin' dropped "Donuts" from its name
Dunkin' Brands announced the change on September 25, 2018. The coffee chain said it would drop "Donuts" from its name and logo, and the new name took effect in January 2019. The change is the one real franchise brand case this article relies on.
For a franchise system, the lesson is about scope. The franchisor has to decide which marks change, which stay, and what happens to every location in the meantime. The steps below turn that decision into a checklist that each location can follow.
An asset-retirement checklist
Each step names the party that usually owns it. Adapt the owners to your own franchise agreement.
- Franchisor legal:Confirm which registrations cover the old and new names, using the USPTO trademark search, and list any maintenance deadline that falls in the change period.
- Franchisor brand team:Freeze the old master files, then build a placement list that names every asset carrying the old name, such as signage, menu boards, packaging, decals and uniforms.
- Franchisor marketing:Send each franchisee a dated change notice with an effective date and a removal deadline. Tie the notice to the approved replacement files.
- Franchisees:Remove or replace each item on the placement list, then photograph the location as proof of completion.
- Web and listings team:Update location pages, online business listings and social profile names. Redirect old landing pages to the new ones so visitors do not reach a dead page.
- Franchisor compliance:Log each removal with a date and a name, and keep the log with the registration file.
A missed item often sits on a page nobody checked. A promotion that ended in one month can still show on a local page months later, so the log matters more than the first pass.
Copyright and trademark cover different things
The U.S. Copyright Office's copyright protection FAQ states that names, titles, slogans and short phrases are not protected by copyright, though some may qualify for trademark protection. It also notes that sufficiently original logo artwork can be copyrighted.
That is why a rebrand produces two separate records. One holds the registration certificates and the mark's scope. The other holds the design files, the assignment of rights from the designer, and the version history. Losing either one is expensive to rebuild.
What the FDD tells a prospective franchisee
Item 13 of the franchise disclosure document, which the FTC Franchise Rule requires, covers the franchisor's principal trademarks. It sets out their registration status and any agreements or proceedings that limit how the franchisor may use them.
A prospective franchisee can compare that item with the live brand. If the disclosed mark is not the one on the storefront, ask the franchisor for the change notice and the effective date before you sign. For the wider brand-ownership picture, see brand management for franchises.
A hypothetical: retiring an expired local claim
Suppose a franchisee runs "Voted best in the county, 2023" on a location page, and the award lapses. The franchisor's brand standards say claims need current evidence. This example is hypothetical, not a reported case.
The reversal path is to pull the claim from the location page, the social profile, the printed menu and the third-party listing. Each removal is logged with a date and a name. If the claim reappeared anywhere, the log shows where it was missed.
Common questions
Are local stories off-brand?
No, when they are accurate, authorized and consistent with the customer promise. The test is whether the local team can show the source and the approval.
Can one asset carry several rights?
Yes. Artwork, photograph, music, a person's likeness and a trademark can each sit on the same image with different owners. A single credit line does not cover them.
What makes an example reusable?
A dated decision, a named owner, the evidence behind it, and a documented way to undo it. Without the undo step, you have a story, not a pattern. For how franchise advertising money is disclosed alongside brand costs, see franchise advertising fund disclosure.
