The world of in-text font styling is a vast one and many different fonts come with their own unique set of rules for how to use them. Italics can be used to create emphasis on passages of text, or as a replacement for quotation marks. But italics also have an optional flourish that makes it look like the capitalization is changed on certain words. It’s called being italicized.
This style of capitalization can make names stand out from the text they’re written in with this kind of added emphasis, which makes the reader pay extra attention to those characters while they are still able to read other words around them with ease. Do you italicize brand names? We’ll explore five reasons every writer should italicize brand names.
Five Features Of Italicize Brand Names That Make Everyone Love It :
1. It’s a trademark.
Trademarks are protected by law and it’s illegal to use a protected trademark without the express written consent of the business that owns it. Italicized brand names are also protected by law as trademarks, and depending on the type of product that is being sold, there could be certain restrictions regarding how and where you can use them in print. For example, if you are writing about companies that produce bottled water then you cannot use their brand name unless it is a part of a direct quote from the company in which case you would need permission from them to include their brand name within your text. In fact, it’s best to always check with the company’s public relations department before including any kind of trademarked name within your text.
2. It makes the product more human.
Italicizing brand names is one way to make the product itself seem more relatable and likable by making it seem less like a typical corporate vision, and instead more down-to-earth and realistic. The use of these italicized names in text can create a sense of association between your readers and the product itself which will naturally get them to become interested in your message or purpose.
3. You can write about a product that is for sale.
A lot of brand names are already considered part of their own brand, so you can write about a product that’s for sale without directly using the company’s name in the text. You don’t have to include the brand at all, which is especially important when you are writing about a product that isn’t actually being sold to consumers yet in order to make sure it doesn’t hurt the company’s reputation or sales.
4. It makes it easier to differentiate between a proper noun and a common noun.
When you’re writing about brand names that are for sale, the inclusion of the trademark symbol (™) can help separate it from being considered as an actual word within your text by italicizing the brand name first before adding the patent symbol at the end. The trademark symbol is also used to prevent any possible issues that may arise with product placement while an article or advertisement is being developed.
5. It can create added emphasis on your text.
Italicized brand names are also used to create a sense of urgency in your text. Using them can get certain aspects of your message across with more power and impact, which can make your writing and communications process more effective overall. This can be especially useful for messages that are trying to convince your audience about a specific issue or concern, as that added emphasis on the company’s name can get them to take part in what you are talking about with much more ease.
In order for the brand name to have any sort of real emphasis, it has to be written in italics (with an optional trademark symbol). That said, there are some situations where using a brand name without italics is the way to go. For example, if the brand name has at least three words in it then you can write the brand name without italics. Additionally, if it’s part of a quote you can also write it without italics.
When you’re writing about a product that is being sold by a company, then remember to always include the trademark symbol (™) after typing out the brand name in order to show that it’s officially trademarked and not simply being used as an alternate way of referring to the company behind the product.
