Mantra Group has sent a strong message to agents targeting their hotel brands – Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree – in an online environment through paid search marketing activity, vowing to cut off inventory supply or further legal action if the practice persists.
“We have invested heavily in building and protecting our brands in the online environment and continue work with agents who add value to the distribution chain, but we will not tolerate parasitic business practices that detract from our brand integrity,” said Mantra Group’s Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Distribution, Kent Davidson.
“A collective stance against this activity will send a strong message to these agents that the industry is diligently monitoring this space and will take action.”
He said offending agents have been instructed to cease placing bids for any of Mantra Group’s trade marks or brands; deploy negative phrase match functionality with applicable search engine providers and immediately cease using Mantra Group’s trade marks and brands in URLs.
A written undertaking from the offending agents that they will adhere to these instructions is required or further action will take place, he said.
Davidson said Mantra Group has successfully fought and won previous trade mark cases in the Federal Court and, if required, will not hesitate to do so again.
“We are seeking compliance from these parties and hope the due process will occur, however we are prepared to take further action to recoup revenue lost through consumer traffic being diverted as a result of this activity,” he said.