It is no secret that we are all subjected to the dominance of the Amazon behemoth. Retailers, in particular, for better or worse, had to adapt to the Amazon platform as a new standard of trading. The Amazon product highway accounts for almost half of all the online transactions in the previous year. This grip on the online market share is also steadily rising. Part of this growth can be attributed to a model shift that Amazon has adopted a few years back. Instead of selling products they own themselves, as is the case with big box stores like Walmart, they now allow third party sellers to join them as with eBay. This shift has made it possible for Amazon to dominate and with it, an opportunity for other sellers to have their cut as well.
Amazon is most famous for being able to sell products at low price points which is the reason why it attracts so many customers. Apart from that, their delivery service has also improved leaps and bounds throughout its lifetime. This allowed Amazon to sell as many products as possible. Being in the Amazon platform is good for the business and is key to commercial success these days. Thus, Amazon Brand Protection is crucial for businesses if it wants to stay afloat in perhaps the most competitive era of commerce.
It cannot be understated the vast variety of products that Amazon offers. From the most basic house utilities, to sophisticated house furnitures, the product base of Amazon continues to grow each day. This is further accelerated by the third party sellers recruited by the online selling giant. With the surge in popularity and its evolving platform, selling on Amazon involves risks from individuals looking to take advantage. These kinds of activities impact the sellers and the brand itself. Thus, it is imperative for businesses to keep aware and ensure that they are protected.
Amazon Brand Protection From Counterfeit and Unauthorized Sellers
There are many ways that illicit activities can affect your brand in the Amazon platform. The first step in protecting your business from them is to understand how they act and predict their actions.
If your brand is plagued with unauthorized sellers and counterfeiters, chances are that the authorized sellers that you are working with will stop transacting with you. This is a natural response as the authorized sellers will also want to protect their own brand. If it comes to this, your business may be marked and other sellers will sever ties with you as well. As with any business venture, the goal is to turn a profit. If you are hounded by illicit activities you will be considered a liability to the trader network.
Counterfeit goods are, more often than not, a poor imitation of the original product. This makes sense because counterfeiters are more intent on selling en masse rather than protect its reputation. They can, however, sell at much lower cost which could mean that they can outdo you in the market. When this happens, it is said that your product has been diluted. The normal response of the buying public will be to attach your brand with the more commonly known version of the product that they know. And in the case of dilution, the counterfeit good will be the face of your product. Many businesses end up having to reinvent their business and giving up trademarks altogether to distance themselves from the counterfeit. In some instances, the counterfeit market even outlives the original product.
This false representation is even more destructive in the Amazon platform because customer reviews are embedded unto the site itself. This means that negative comments will be posted and disseminated to buyers faster than the business can clear its name. This leads to a cycle that eventually wears down the original seller.
Counterfeiters and unauthorized sellers hit businesses the hardest by unjustly taking a share in the profit. Without regards to the product quality, counterfeits are much cheaper than the original product. This attracts customers that are looking for a bargain. The seller will then have to cope with the dwindling sales due to the unjust parties that they have to contend with. This can ruin the cash flow of a business and could do further damage as it goes on.
These issues are not unique to the Amazon market sellers. Customers looking to make a bargain often take a look at online markets to see if they can get a version of the product at a lower rate. They may not be aware that the product is counterfeit. This makes Amazon Brand Protection a necessity for every business that sells goods that can be taken advantage of by counterfeiters and unauthorized sellers.
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Amazon Brand Protection From Amazon
Amazon has taken steps to offer protection to its third party sellers. These led to the creation of the Amazon Brand Registry. This should also be your business’s first step into dealing with the existing threat. There are requirements, however before you can register your product in the brand registry. First, your product must have a registered trademark. The Amazon Brand Registry is able to protect sellers from counterfeit goods however businesses are still going to be vulnerable from unauthorized sellers for legitimate products.
The brand registry allows you to report suspected violations of your trademark directly to Amazon. This gives you a level of necessary protection to keep illicit activities from damaging your business. Apart from this, there are also other perks that you can take advantage of as part of registering your product in the registry. One of which is to get access to the Enhanced Brand Content Program. This gives you the power to market your product on the platform and make it stand out from the counterfeiters and unauthorized sellers. You also gain protection from possible negative review spamming of competitors through the Early Reviewer Program. And finally, so that you become an officially legitimate part of the market, you will gain access to the GCID or the Global Catalog Identifier.
