FROMTHEEDITOR
Welcome to the July edition of Clearview – although it may not feel like summer given the endless , drizzling rain in some parts of the country . However , there are plenty of bright , inspiring and unusual stories in this month ’ s magazine to keep you both occupied and informed .
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TAKE THE EXTRAORDINARY TALE ON PAGE 12 about Mighton Products making its catwalk debut at a London fashion show – with its stainless-steel sash chain . Not many companies in our sector can say they ’ ve paraded their products in front of eminent fashion critics . You couldn ’ t make it up .
Then on page 14 we find out seven things you didn ’ t know about the Synseal Group – one of them being that the group extrudes enough PVCu profile to stretch from Nottingham to Tasmania .
Of course , the biggest part of Clearview this month - pages 66-93 - is dedicated to comprehensive coverage of what was a truly magnificent FIT Show , making its debut at its new , bigger Birmingham venue at the NEC . There were some stunning top end products to be found as well as a lot of catching up to do with old and new friends – and lots of ambitious plans and initiatives . Epwin attracted a lot of interest as it launched its Excellence as Standard programme , page 71 , while Victorian Sliders gave a different perspective with its report on its first ever FIT Show – page 75 .
The FIT Show is just as much about people as it is about products . Think of all the colourful characters you look forward to bumping into – and maybe a couple that you might avoid . We ’ ve kept the focus on people on page 108 – or rather one particular person – in our heart-warming human interest story . The person in question is a former builder who worked hard to create a new life in his 40s – he re-trained as a locksmith , learning the trade via MPL ’ s Specialist Locksmith courses .
Another contributor we spoke to this month is Michelle Wright , page 10 , marketing manager for the Glazerite Group , who tells us exactly how the group is working hard to really help installers .
Finally , catch up with the trends and shifts in the industry on pages 14 and 104 . On page 14 we look at how second replacements and changes in home ownership are having a big impact and re-defining the way the industry does things . Get a warm glow on page 104 by reading about ‘ glow heated glass ’, a pioneering product from TuffX shown at this year ’ s Grand Designs live show .
Helen Williams , Editor
‘ Misleading ’ Google online ads - a threat to installers and fabricators
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INSTALLERS AND fabricators could be losing thousands of pounds of new business to copycat advertisers who exploit their brand and local reputation , online .
The warning comes from Hants-based home improvement specialist KJM Group , which was targeted by a competitor business , Cheapest Double Glazing .
The company , registered to an address in London , ran a series of Google Ads in April . These used the header ‘ KJM Windows – Top Quality Windows and Doors – cheapest-double-glazing . com ’.
Mark Pearce , Managing Director , KJM Group , said : “ Google ads are the paid-for adverts that appear at the top or the side of your search in Google .
“ The ads placed by Cheapest Double Glazing , in our opinion could be very easily confused by homeowners as having been placed by us .
“ The use of ‘ KJM Group ’ in the strapline of the ad means that it ’ s not unreasonable to suggest that someone could click on it believing that they were being directed to our own website , when in fact they were being completely re-directed to a thirdparty site .
“ We hadn ’ t registered our company name as a Trademark – something that we have now done – which meant that it wasn ’ t protected .
“ In law and within Google ’ s own guidelines , Cheapest Double Glazing hadn ’ t committed an offence leaving us with very little redress , despite what is the very clear and cynical exploitation of our brand .”
The KJM boss is urging any fabricators or installers , which haven ’ t yet done so to register their brands as Trademarks to avoid what he described as the pitfalls of what he described as the ‘ Wild West of online advertising ’.
Registration of a Trademark gives you the exclusive right to use the mark or authorise someone else to use it , for the goods or services for which it is registered . This includes the legal basis for action against someone who uses it to promote the same or similar goods for which its registered .
This also empowers businesses to seek specific redress from Google . “ We ’ d encourage other business owners in and around Hampshire to learn from our experience . Without Trademark registration , Google won ’ t remove the ads despite our requests , because in law , no offence has been committed .”
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