First choice was not the wrong choice

Jonathan Mercer advocates thoroughness in his article headlined Learning the rules of the name game (DW 20 January). As identity advisers to First Choice, the company he uses to illustrate his point, we think it is a pity that Mr Mercer appears to be guilty of the lack of thoroughness of which he complains.

There is no company called First Choice Tours connected with the First Choice group and never has been. Mr Mercer is probably referring to the subsidiary, First Choice Travel, which has adjusted its descriptor, becoming First Choice Holidays & Flights. The likelihood of such an adjustment was considered an acceptable risk and the change was never problematic.

He was wrong if he sought to suggest that the First Choice name was at risk in some way. First Choice remains the trading name of the group and is proving highly successful – sales up to Christmas were up 35 per cent on last year.

For the record, the decision to go with the name First Choice was based on a full formal assessment of the commercial risks and potential rewards, and the whole process was informed by detailed research by professional trademark agents and solicitors – research which actually went far beyond the measures outlined in Mr Mercer’s article.

Clare Fuller

Sampson Tyrrell

London WC2