A Ripple Effect® approached Great Things LLC, whose President and CEO, Renee Martin Nagle, was nearing the end of a long trademarking process for “A Ripple Effect” and needed trademark specimen of use added to her website.
A Ripple Effect® helps organizations across the globe position for lasting success by harnessing water and climate resilience as a strategic advantage. With guidance from A Ripple Effect®, organizations eliminate inefficiencies, boost financial growth, and establish themselves as leaders in responsible, innovative water and climate resilience practices.
The Challenge of Trademark Specimen of Use
To complete the trademark process, Renee needed to update her website, but she had lost contact with the site developer. She needed a team familiar with WordPress and Beaver Builder that could leverage the existing website infrastructure to make the necessary changes—and to do it without significant redevelopment.
Because the trademark process is costly, she was also looking for a team to implement these changes effectively and affordably.
Strategic (& Affordable) Solutions
To comply with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) requirements for trademark specimen of use in commerce, Renee needed to show the mark (A Ripple Effect) used to sell a service. To prove this, we implemented these changes to arippleeffect.net.
- Added a “Services” page to the wireframe (including custom design and copywriting)
- Added a contact form to the footer
- Developed customer and offer briefs to guide copywriting
- Provided commerce-ready copywriting that would satisfy USPTO requirements
The Results
Renee reached out on March 31, 2025. The website changes were live by May 2. On September 10, we received this email from Renee:
I received word yesterday that the USPTO has approved registration of a trademark for A Ripple Effect® for all the uses that I requested (consulting, legal services and education relating to water).
This effort has taken three years, and I have no doubt that your revisions to the Services page on the website convinced the USPTO that the name A Ripple Effect is indeed being “used in commerce.” The fact that we met through drumming makes the victory even sweeter.
What had been a three-year process could easily have gone off course when Renee couldn’t reach her developer. Instead, she partnered with a nimble team well-versed in WordPress, Beaver Builder, and USPTO trademark specimen of use requirements—a team willing to work within the current tech stack and within budget to help her cross the finish line.
She is also the owner of Open Roads, a writing coaching and editing agency.