A love letter from Volvo…
Fantastic disarm of what could have been a disastrous situation of hurt feelings and ultimately a potentially destructive retaliation…
Dear Yvan and Joshua,
In cruising the web, we came across your site which has the Volvo corporate logotype prominently displayed. It is obvious that you are an avid Volvo supporter and have the best interest of the brand at heart. At the same time, if we do not aggressively defend that Volvo logotype, we will lose control of it. This will ultimately cause the erosion and dilution of the brand we both respect.
For this reason, we would like to ask if you wouldn’t mind changing from using the Volvo logo to just using the word “Volvo” in regular typeface. This will allow people to know of your interest in dealing with the topic of Volvo, yet allow them to understand they are not dealing with the corporate entity of Volvo. We would also ask if you wouldn’t mind indicating at the bottom of your home page “Not Legally Affiliated with AB Volvo, Sweden.”
Your internet home page is a journalistic avenue through which you communicate a unique insight into Volvo based on your experiences, In effect, much like the traditional world of print, radio and TV, you communicate to an audience, albeit electronically. Our Corporate Communications group would like to extend to you an opportunity to be treated as a journalist. Under construction is a methodology to provide “Internet Press Credentials” granting individuals access to press releases, product information, and new model releases.
We trust you can understand our need to protect our brand and that you will take the appropriate steps to help us. We would like to wish you every success with your internet efforts.
Sincerely,
Volvo Cars of North America
Legal Department
