Assessment of the distinctiveness of soviet brands: sociological expertise of the economic and legal situation

The article justifies the use of sociological information on consumer behavior for assessment of the distinctiveness of trademarks by case study of two Soviet brands. The trademarks originating in the USSR have reduced distinctiveness and can either lose it completely, or strengthen it as a result of heavy use. The author discusses the cases representing these opposite outcomes and shows how they can be diagnosed by means of sociological market research.