‘When it comes to branding, consumer goods can have a shelf life of two or three years’
● Trademark expert discusses the key role IP plays in the food and drink sector
You don’t have to delve toofarintoscotland’s food and drink sector to unearth some heady numbers. Collectively, the industry was worth well in excess of £14 billion last year, supported some 119,000 jobs and enjoyed a growth rate within food manufacturing that was twice that of the UK average. And, despite inflationary and Brexit headwinds, industry bosses recently set out a vision to more than double turnover in the sector to £30bn by 2030.
That aptly named “Ambition 2030” blueprint identifies three pillars on which the industry can build further growth: skills and people, supply chain and innovation. A raft of new product launches, rebrandings and export initiatives are in the pipeline, which should provide plenty to chew on for trademark professionals like Eleanor Coates.
The Kinross-born economics graduate qualified as a trademark attorney in 2005 and joined Glasgow-headquartered Murgitroyd a year later. Over 40 years or so, the Aim-quoted firm has grown to become of the most prominent players in the field of intellectual property (IP) and patent law with a headcount in excess of 250 and a network of offices spanning Europe and beyond.
Senior trademark attorney Coates has worked with prominent food and drink brands such as Highland Spring, Merrydown, Shloer and Speyside Glenlivet, and given the predicted growth of the sector and its global aspirations, her in-tray is likely to overspill in the coming months.
“When it comes to branding, consumer goods can have a shelf life of maybe only two or three years and then people start tweaking with the packaging,” she observes. “The market continually moves forward so those brands have to move forward – they have to stand out from the crowd on the shelf.
“It is an interesting area in that respect and very much subject to trends. The packaging is so important in terms