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How do W hotels feel about weight watchers becoming WW?

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Old Sep 25, 2018, 6:58 am
  #1  
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How do W hotels feel about weight watchers becoming WW?

OK, so W hotels are supposed to be some upscale lifestyle brand and weight watchers would seem to be the antithesis of that image. With Weight Watchers renaming themselves as WW, how do the W hotels brand and marketing folks feel about it?

Is there any chance of an intellectual property legal action as I assume that W is a trademark and there's always the possibility of WW causing confusion.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 7:03 am
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Hasn't Weight Watchers been using "WW" for some time (even if not 100% of the time)?

Given the fact that it is hard to imagine more different markets (weight loss / nutrition programs versus hotels) I don't see how Marriott could even consider filing IP action. This is especially true given that the more generic / less unique the trademark, the more challenging it is to protect in unrelated industries (for example - Apple Computers vs. Apple Record company). Starwood is the one that picked a single letter as a brand - Weightwatchers is actually operating in a significantly larger domain (1 out of 676 combinations vs. 1 out of 26 ).

I doubt there will be much room for confusion here from the average consumer.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 7:29 am
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Maybe W’s could abbreviate their logo to just U?
for now you have W, WW and of course most famously the WWW.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:21 am
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The thought probably hasn't registered, given how absurd the "connection" is.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:26 am
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Probably eating their feelings.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 10:30 am
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Originally Posted by Beltway2A
The thought probably hasn't registered, given how absurd the "connection" is.
+1
There's an A+ Plumbing and AA Plumbing in most towns in the US, but I don't think the AAA gives a thought that someone might connect the auto club to a plumber.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 11:40 am
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It should fit perfectly, the W Maldives recently updated their Sweet Spots to remove anything sweet and basically have water and apples in as apparently Marriott didnt want to be seen as promoting unhealthy eating! So seems a budding partnership opportunity if there ever was one!
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 12:11 pm
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Originally Posted by UKTraveller4Fun
It should fit perfectly, the W Maldives recently updated their Sweet Spots to remove anything sweet and basically have water and apples in as apparently Marriott didnt want to be seen as promoting unhealthy eating! So seems a budding partnership opportunity if there ever was one!
They did this at Elements too. The pantry is only stocked with pseudo healthy (I say pseudo because it's usually still high calorie crap) products. It's terrible.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 12:13 pm
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Isn't "WW" already © CEO of International Airlines Group ?

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
Is there any chance of an intellectual property legal action as I assume that W is a trademark and there's always the possibility of WW causing confusion
Paging VW ....
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 12:35 pm
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I wonder how the letter W feels about all this
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 1:16 pm
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Originally Posted by GoPhils
I wonder how the letter W feels about all this
Perhaps a little woeful and worried?
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 1:35 pm
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Originally Posted by ethernal
Perhaps a little woeful and worried?
Originally Posted by GoPhils
I wonder how the letter W feels about all this
. . . This conversation brought to you by (banned-from-the-Maldives-and-Elements Cookie Monster and) the letter W.

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Old Sep 25, 2018, 1:44 pm
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While I wouldn't put WW as the antithesis of W (not sure why dieting and 'upscale lifestyle brand' are antitheses), has anyone asked WWE how they feel?
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 2:02 pm
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
OK, so W hotels are supposed to be some upscale lifestyle brand and weight watchers would seem to be the antithesis of that image.
I would have thought the antithesis of an upscale lifestyle hotel brand would be a downscale, product-focused hotel brand, like Motel 6.

I doubt many people confuse hotels for weight control programs.
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Old Sep 25, 2018, 2:07 pm
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
... I assume that W is a trademark and there's always the possibility of WW causing confusion.
In what universe?!
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