1-How can Brand Protection Strategies help brands in terms of creating a
differentiated brand identity?
Brand protection strategies are primarily about exactly that, protecting the
brand, whether from loss of revenue, reputational damage, brand misuse, or any
other negative factors important to each company. So, any approach that can
stop counterfeiters from appearing in the shop windows can be a game-changer
for brands, with many feeling like they are in a losing battle.
However, any technologies that put the power of authentication into the hands
of consumers, cost-effectively, not only protects the brands but can be a vehicle
to enhancing the customer's post-purchase experience, whether it be by
unlocking extra benefits, offers, content, etc., can be a vehicle that generates
brand loyalty and future purchases. Of course, while it protects the brand and
provides consumer benefits, it can also deliver valuable data about the user
engagement and demographics, which can be more valuable than everything
else. However, this cannot come at a high cost as budget pressures will always
remain, often putting brand protection in line behind marketing. But again, any
technology that can join these two vital functions can also share the rewards and
the costs of implementation.
2-What plays a more significant role in Brand’s Entity & Repute, its
reach or trusted products?
As a company that provides visual listening technologies that are integrated into
the world’s leading social listening and brand monitoring platforms, we know
first-hand the damage that can be done to a brand because of a negative
experience in this ‘trending’ world. All the marketing spend and goodwill
generated can be undone very easily. This is especially true in areas where
product safety comes into play. Many counterfeits are sold on marketplaces that cannot even distinguish real
from fake, which can, and does, happen on platforms like Amazon that use
blended warehouse locations for the same product from different vendors.
As such, I would have to say increasing your territory (reach) without protecting
your flanks (trust) is never a good idea, to put it in military terms.
3- What in your view is more important; Brand Awareness, Brand
Loyalty or Digitization?
This is similar to the previous question. As awareness of your brand grows, so
does the desire for it. That puts you on the radar of bad actors around the world,
which in turn drives an increase in counterfeits of that product. Ultimately digitization can serve to drive both awareness and protection faster
and more effectively, but I feel strongly that although the actual split may differ
by business/product type, there must be an emphasis on brand protection as well as
brand awareness. People buy what they think is genuine, receive a fake, have a bad experience, and tell their friends.
4-What factors do you believe will shape the future of Securing Brands
Across the Globe?
This really comes down to 2 things:
Technology
We know from previous global challenges that technology holds the key to
solving the challenges. For example, the challenge of spam email wasn’t solved
by forensic analysis of the sources of the spam, and mounting legal challenges
to shut them down (although that did happen too). No, the solution was new
technologies that validated authentic senders and blocked bad actors. The result
is that today we don’t start our day having to trawl through and delete hundreds
of spam emails.
Of course, I work in a technology company at the very cutting-edge of AI, so
I/we would have a bias toward technology. But it’s no empty promise. We
know we can block fake products from sites and platforms, and stop the illegal use
of infringing content on products - at the shop window. We know because we
have been doing it for the past 3 years and many leading companies rely on our
technology every day.
You may justly ask, why then, do counterfeit products still exist? The answer is
because of factor 2.
Legal/Social Pressure
If we’re completely honest, we’ll all agree that there is a percentage of
counterfeit purchases where the consumer absolutely knows it’s fake. If you’re
buying a product that costs >$2,000 for $200, that’s not just a bargain! There needs to therefore be a shift in the social acceptance of the negative aspects of
buying counterfeit products and the damage it does to society.
However, the biggest impact will come from legal pressure from government
legislation. A great example of this is the SHOP-SAFE act, which holds great
promise for ensuring that marketplaces begin taking responsibility for
counterfeits sold through their platforms.
5- What is your company’s vision for 2020 and beyond?
We see a world where Visual-AI will lift humanity out of the mundane,
empowering a society that focuses more on creativity and collaboration and less
on binary tasks. Allowing us all to do more while working less.
Ten years from now, our Visual-AI will have made counterfeit product sales as
insignificant as spam email, so brands can focus on growth, new brands can
flourish, and the general public can be protected from unsafe goods. We will
have released the hidden intelligence for brands and driven advertising and
sponsorship relevancy to 100%, taking the guesswork and waste out of
marketing spend. The focus on stopping counterfeits is because the purchasing of fake goods is
far from a victimless crime. Counterfeiters operate under the worst business
practices and exploit workers, while the proceeds of these illicit sales go
untaxed and oftentimes help to fund drug gangs and terrorist organizations. This
is all aside from the millions of jobs lost to the legitimate industries and brands
throughout the supply chain, and the danger posed to the public from some of
these products.
It’s not unstoppable, and we know we can stop it!
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