Trademark Plus (TM Plus) Bidding

Trademark Plus (TM Plus) bidding is the practice of bidding in paid search on search terms that combine a brand's trademarked name with an additional word — for example, 'BrandName reviews,' 'BrandName coupon,' 'BrandName vs competitor,' or 'BrandName discount code.' It sits between bidding on the pure brand name (which brand-name bidding policies usually prohibit) and bidding on purely generic, non-brand keywords (which is normally allowed), making it a recognized gray area in affiliate and partner paid-search policy.

The 'plus' is the added word, and it's what makes these terms ambiguous. A term like 'BrandName coupon' still contains the brand's trademark and targets people already searching for the brand, but the added intent (looking for a coupon, a review, a comparison) is something the brand may or may not serve well itself, and where an affiliate might add value. So TM Plus terms blur the line: they're brand-related (raising the same interception and trademark concerns as brand bidding) but carry additional intent (where an affiliate might be genuinely useful).

TM Plus bidding is contentious precisely because it has arguments on both sides. From the brand's perspective, TM Plus terms still contain its trademark and capture people already searching for it, so affiliates bidding on them can intercept brand-driven traffic and claim commissions on sales the brand might have gotten — the same concerns as pure brand bidding, just one step removed. From the affiliate's perspective, the added word often signals an intent the brand doesn't directly satisfy (a coupon, an honest review, a comparison), where the affiliate genuinely adds value and the brand may not even want to advertise.

This ambiguity is why TM Plus needs explicit policy treatment. Different brands take different stances: some prohibit all bidding that includes the trademark (banning TM Plus along with pure brand bidding); some allow TM Plus on certain terms where affiliates add value; some permit specific approved terms only. Because TM Plus sits in the gray zone, leaving it unaddressed creates exactly the disputes and inconsistency that clear policy is meant to prevent — affiliates unsure what's allowed, and brands surprised by bidding they didn't expect.

Handling TM Plus bidding well means addressing it explicitly in the brand-name bidding policy rather than leaving it ambiguous — clearly stating whether terms combining the brand name with other words are allowed, prohibited, or permitted only for specific approved terms or partners. A thoughtful policy weighs where affiliates genuinely add value on brand-plus-intent terms (perhaps honest reviews or comparisons) against where they merely intercept brand traffic (perhaps 'brand coupon' on near-certain purchases), and sets rules accordingly, communicated clearly and enforced.

The failures are ignoring TM Plus in the policy (leaving a gray area that breeds disputes and unexpected interception), treating all TM Plus terms identically without considering the added intent, and failing to enforce whatever rule is set. The discipline is to explicitly define the brand's stance on TM Plus terms within its bidding policy — distinguishing where affiliates add value from where they intercept — and to communicate and enforce it, closing the gray area that ambiguity leaves open.

Trademark Plus (TM Plus) bidding — targeting a brand's name plus an additional word — is a recognized gray area in affiliate paid-search policy, sitting between prohibited brand bidding and permitted generic bidding.

Etymology: source.

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Areas of marketing where trademark plus (tm plus) bidding is a core concern: