TECHNOLOGY DRIVES SOCIAL MEDIA – USE IT
A growing complaint from brand owners and licensees is that technology has led to an increasing amount of unlicensed products being sold in the open and website marketplaces. This global problem has led to an increased number of task forces from such groups as the International Trademark Association (INTA) and International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC). But as we blame technology for the rising amount of unlicensed products, we should learn to use technology to a brand’s and licensor’s benefit. Technology is used to help brand owners and make their followers aware of the problem with counterfeit products and can be used for both enforcement training and confiscation.
(Above is an excerpt from the article entitled “Technology = Licensing Explosion” originally published in The Licensing Book, Summer 2013.
- Social Media – Everyone uses social media in their day-to-day life. Every brand owner should be using social media to their advantage by creating anti-counterfeiting campaigns and using social media to disseminate information. Besides using Facebook friends to “like” products, or “pinning” style sheets to your Pinterest boards, using social media platforms to educate consumers about the differences between authentic licensed and unlicensed products is an avenue not typically utilized by brand owners or license representatives. It is well known that educating consumers regarding the pitfalls and dangers of counterfeit products and unlicensed products, is the first step in preventing and minimizing the sale of counterfeit products.
- Unreal Campaign – INTA’s Unreal Campaign, is a relatively new campaign that is designed to educate teens about counterfeit products and get them involved in preventing the sale of counterfeit products. Partnering with the campaign and reaching out to local high schools targets education efforts to a younger, impressionable demographic. With Twitter, Instagram and Vine as a few of the leading modes of communication between teens, utilizing campaigns such as the Unreal Campaign, and educating and encouraging communication through these vehicles, is a proactive position in preventing counterfeit activity.