The cost to create a brand depends on four things: the category, the size of the first order, the number of products and the number of markets. Any single figure that ignores these is marketing. The most useful question is what you must spend before you learn whether customers will buy, because that is the money at real risk. Stock is usually the largest line, and regulated categories add testing and registration on top.
We do not publish a universal price here, because it would mislead you. What we can do is list the lines, give official fees where they exist, and show how to build your own number.
The budget lines
| Line | What drives it | Often forgotten |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy and research | Number of markets and channels | Cost of buying competitor samples |
| Name and trademark | Classes and countries | Attorney fees and later renewal or use filings |
| Identity and packaging design | SKU count, languages, formats | Translation and regulatory review of artwork |
| Product development | Stock product or original | Repeat sample rounds and freight for samples |
| Tooling | Custom moulds, plates, patterns | Ownership and storage terms |
| Testing and compliance | Category, materials, colours, markets | Retesting after a material change, and local representatives |
| First production | Units per SKU, pack minimums | Deposit timing, spare packaging |
| Freight, duty, warehousing | Weight, volume, origin, tariffs | Inspection, insurance, broker fees |
| Launch and working capital | Channel and competition | Listing fees, promotions, returns, a reorder |
Official trademark fees you can check today
Trademark fees are among the few costs with a published price. Filing fees are only part of the total: searches and attorney work come on top, and they differ by firm.
| Office | Published starting fee |
|---|---|
| EU (EUIPO) | €850 basic online fee for one class, €50 for the second class, €150 for each further class |
| UK (IPO) | At least £205; usually more depending on goods and services |
| US (USPTO) | $350 base application fee per class for Section 1 or Section 44 filings, with more for certain add-ons and later filings. Foreign-domiciled applicants must use a US-licensed attorney |
| International (WIPO Madrid) | One set of fees in Swiss francs, based on the countries you designate. Use WIPO’s fee calculator |
These were correct when checked in November 2026. Offices change them, so check before budgeting. For the international route, see our Madrid guide.
How to estimate your own budget
Build the total from the first order outward.
- Fix the range. Number of SKUs and units per SKU. Our working figure is 300–1 000 units per product, but your supplier’s pack minimum may raise it.
- Get real unit costs for that volume, including packaging. A sample price or a catalogue price is not a quote.
- Add landed costs: freight, duty, brokerage, inspection and warehousing.
- Add one-off costs: design, samples, tooling, tests, registrations and trademark filing.
- Add launch and reserve: what it takes to reach the first customers, plus enough cash to survive slow sales or to place a reorder.
A worked example, for illustration only
These numbers are invented to show the mechanics. They are not a quote, a market average or a forecast. Suppose a brand launches 3 products with 500 units each, at a landed cost of €6 per unit.
| Item | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Stock | 3 × 500 × €6 | €9,000 |
| Double the range to 6 products | 6 × 500 × €6 | €18,000 |
| Double units instead, on 3 products | 3 × 1,000 × €6, before any volume discount | €18,000 |
The point: range and depth multiply. If you double both, stock goes up fourfold before design, testing or launch costs are added. Every extra colour or size is treated as a new product. That is why cutting the first range is usually the strongest budget decision you can make. Put your own figures in the calculator.
Which categories cost more to enter
Generally, cost follows risk. Baby products, electronics and active cosmetics need more testing and evidence. Supplements and food need certified producers, plus label checks in every market. Household chemicals may need classification, safety data and, in the EU, poison centre notification. Clothing has fewer approvals but ties up stock through sizes and colours. Our category pages list what applies.
Market count adds cost in layers. A new market can mean a new trademark, a new responsible person, new label languages and a new packaging register. Sell in one country first if you can. The regulatory items are general information, and we confirm them with licensed specialists on a real project.
Ask for a cost per stage
Whoever you work with, ask for each stage to be priced separately, with a clear output you keep. That lets you stop if the evidence turns against you, and lets you compare suppliers line by line. A single all-in figure makes it hard to see what you are paying for, or what happens to your money if the project stops halfway.
Where not to save
- Name checks. Rebranding after launch costs far more than a search and a filing.
- Testing the final product. A report on another version protects nobody.
- Pre-shipment inspection. Finding a problem before payment is far cheaper than finding it in a customer’s hands.
Where you can save
- Range size. Launch fewer products.
- Printed pack minimums. Use a stock pack with a label for the first run where it suits the brand.
- Second markets. Delay them until the first has shown repeat orders.
- Stages you already cover. If you have a name or a factory, buy only the stages you lack.