Strength of a mark can be measured on two different levels; marketing strength and legal strength. Words that describe very closely the underlying good or service they represent have strong marketing potential, since such marks immediately communicate to customers what the product actually is or does. An example is "Quick Fix Radiator Mix." This tells the customer immediately that it is a substance that fixes radiators quickly. The problem with using descriptive marks such as these is that they are weak from a legal perspective. The legal strength of a mark is generally measured by its distinctiveness, not its descriptiveness. In fact, distinctiveness and descriptiveness are almost two ends on the same spectrum. Generally speaking, the more distinctive the mark, the stronger is the legal protection available for that mark, but the less ability the mark has to communicate with the consumer. Distinctive marks are those that are coined or fanciful (made up), or suggestive (suggesting qualities of the underlying products, without plainly describing them).
