Your brand, no matter its size, needs two things to survive the market!
A full-fledged marketing plan
And a proper anti-counterfeiting strategy
Here's Why?
Your marketing plan is essential to attract people, potential customers, investors, stakeholders and a lot of other well-wishers.
But in the process, you will also gain the eyes of counterfeiters and scammers who are ready to make quick bucks using your name.
So your successful marketing plan will in turn become the cause of your downfall if you are not opting for a fitting anti-counterfeit strategy.
And if you are wondering what is a good anti-counterfeit strategy, I’ll tell you how we at Acviss do it!
First of all, there is no one-fit solution for every brand or industry, so be careful of what you are being offered.
Jumping into the first step.
1. Take hold of your supply chain relations.
The part played by retailers and suppliers in preventing counterfeits is undeniable. They can help your brand identify where the counterfeiters are entering the supply chain. But in most cases, especially in India, their role is completely neglected and even non-existent in the anti-counterfeit process. To get the best out of your supply chain, let them know how seriously you are taking the counterfeit issue. This can help you to pinpoint the location where counterfeits enter the market and regular updates and information sharing about the latest in counterfeiters’ tactics can help keep the focus on brand protection efforts.
2. Give out rewards to your customers.
It can help boost customer loyalty and trust. Every time they take out their mobile to scan the code to verify the authenticity of your products, make sure to reward them with little something.
Like when you use Bonus by Acviss, it helps the customers get points for scanning the label on the product, which can be redeemed as anything they wish. The app also allows you to interact with the customers, monitor their buying behaviour and reward them suitably. This can be used as a platform to educate your customers about product information, new arrivals or even potential discounts and offers.
3. Keep your team on board.
Anti-counterfeiting and brand protection is not one person's job, always inform and address the counterfeit issue to your team. Keep them updated and empowered to fight the counterfeit. Make them aware of their responsibility in the fight against counterfeiting. Conduct person-to-person training programs and workshops to improve their knowledge related to the issue and how the solution is being implemented. Also, employ email campaigns, advertisements and in-store displays to get even more attention.
Remember, a well-informed team member will help spread the importance of the preventive measures to their community, not just because they were asked to, but because they want to, which is an added advantage to the process.
4. Make awareness a priority.
Nobody will care about fakes until they get to know how dangerous it is. That’s why creating awareness among stakeholders should be the first priority. So educate your customers, your team and the market about your brand, the counterfeit issues and the solutions you have adopted.
Use social media to spread educational content related to the issue, including brand promotion materials along with the product to get more personal with the customers. This can increase the effectiveness of your protection strategy and success in the long run.
5. Be wary of your budget.
Never bite more than you can chew. Even when you are choosing the anti-counterfeit solution. Every brand needs solutions of a different nature and they must use one that suits the requirements. Channels of distribution, stakeholders, target audience and budget can factor in while deciding the solution. At Acviss, we can provide different solutions that will meet the requirements of each customer. In that way, no brand or industry will have to stay vulnerable in the market.
6. Calculating ROI.
Budget can be a problem, but while calculating the amount to be spent, always think about how much you can gain back in the process. By taking out the counterfeits and educating the audience you are gaining more attention and potential sales that will boost your growth. Keep in mind that, these are defining factors of success in the long run.
7. Be at the forefront of the fight.
Even when you are combatting the counterfeit market, become a spokesperson for spreading awareness. Use your profiles to build up trust in the community and take a leadership role in the fight against counterfeits. Become an activist for the importance of anti-counterfeiting efforts. The widespread existence of fake goods is an issue beyond your brand and products. These efforts typically include sharing information and insights about the impact of fake goods in media interviews, social media, and on your website. This advocacy can be driven even by passing along information from government and non-profit organizations that have campaigns to fight counterfeits.
8. Safeguarding the online space.
It's not just the physical markets you have to worry about, it's also the online marketplaces. Social media channels, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, are overtaking online auction sites as the biggest online platforms for counterfeit activity. You cannot forget about online brand protection while considering anti-counterfeit solutions.
To take the case of Truviss, the online anti-counterfeit solution by Acviss, it can sweep through every domain, social media, app store and even product listing on the web, finding and eliminating any IP infringements. This allows you to not only save your brand in the offline markets but also in the online world.
Be Proactive.
So to be honest, brand protection is not something to be taken lightly. As your revenue graph keeps climbing, your counterfeiters and people trying to leech profit off of you continue to grow. So taking proactive steps at the initial stages is fundamental. And having a properly defined anti-counterfeit strategy is an even more important measure.
If you want to know more about how to create an effective anti-counterfeit strategy for protecting your brand and products, visit www.acviss.com and book a demo today.
