With the online economy offering counterfeiters new and anonymous ways to usurp brand products, online brand protection is essential.
Threats to your brand lead to lost sales and revenue, lost opportunities to increase market share, and reputational damage through the erosion of consumer trust.
Trusted online marketplaces like Amazon.com® and Taobao provide low cost outlets for fraudsters to conduct business, selling counterfeit items at competitive price points, unbeknownst to the consumer. Social media and mobile apps have also made it easier for counterfeiters to direct traffic away from brands with the constant ads and low-price promises, selling substandard products under the guise of a legitimate brand.
Lower-cost materials are one thing, but some of the counterfeit goods are made with materials that can pose a physical risk to customers—like toxic dyes or flammable fabrics. The European Commission estimates that sales of fakes in the EU are worth around €26 billion every year1.
In 2014, American border officials seized counterfeits that, had they been genuine, would have been worth $1.2 billion2.
To get secure, work with a leader in the online brand protection industry like CSC®.
We offer:
Social Media Monitoring
Tracking all mentions of brands and trademarks across social media platforms, refreshing results every four hours—even for brands with no social media presence.
Anti-counterfeit and marketplace monitoring solution
A combination of professional expertise, with cutting-edge technology, and analyst review allows us to hunt online counterfeiters wherever they operate, and also pinpoint the most significant and highest-value targets.
Brand enforcement and domain name acquisition
The widest range of online enforcement and domain name acquisition services available today, with an exceptional success rate for recovering digital assets, removing infringing content, and enforcing takedowns.
The key to getting secure is to first know your enemy, then get protected. Make combatting counterfeit a team effort, and educate your customers on how to spot your real product from a fake.
[1]Forbes, €26BN Lost Every Year In EU Due To Counterfeiting Of Clothes, Shoes And Accessories, Study Finds, 2015: https://www.forbes.com/sites/fionabriggs/2015/07/21/e26bn-lost-every-year-in-eu-due-to-counterfeiting-of-clothes-shoes-and-accessories-study-finds/#5d95602969b5
2The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/business/21660111-makers-expensive-bags-clothes-and-watches-are-fighting-fakery-courts-battle