How can a trademark gain distinctiveness through secondary meaning?

In intellectual-property law, a trademark must be distinctive to qualify for registration. While some marks lack inherent distinctiveness when first introduced, they can acquire it over time through the development of a secondary meaning.1

Secondary meaning is established when the public forms a specific, consistent association between the mark and a particular product or source. As consumers begin to identify the mark as a unique indicator of origin rather than merely a descriptive term, the mark becomes distinctive in the eyes of the law. Once this mental connection is sufficiently strong, the mark is considered to have gained the necessary distinctiveness to be eligible for trademark registration.1