Introduction
The counterfeit product market in Asia has grown alarmingly. Counterfeiters manufacture and distribute fake goods without fear of legal consequences, posing a significant threat to brand integrity and consumer trust. A leading global brand, faced with over 2,000 complaints annually, sought to protect its brand's integrity in India. Evalueserve IP and R&D provided critical insights to help them take decisive action in this complex and dynamic market.
Diagnose: Assessing the Client's Position in the Counterfeit Market
The first step was to analyze the client’s current position in the counterfeit product market. We thoroughly understood their business goals and how counterfeit products affected their brand image and bottom line. The diagnosis was carried out in the following ways:
- Complaint Segmentation: We meticulously categorized incoming complaints into effective and ineffective leads, ensuring we focused on the most critical cases that required immediate attention.
- Investigation Criteria: We worked closely with the client to define key criteria for approving investigations. These criteria included potential counterfeit volumes, frequency of complaints, geolocation data, etc., ensuring that the most pressing counterfeit activities were addressed first.
- Tracking & Follow-up: We followed up on each lead appropriately. Our team also provided timely reminders to third-party investigators to ensure all cases’ due completion and closure.
Design: Building a Comprehensive Strategy to Address Counterfeiting
Based on the diagnostic phase, we helped the client develop a strategic roadmap to tackle the counterfeit product issue:
- Actionable Intelligence: We expanded the competitive analysis to include additional data points for building actionable intelligence.
- Third-Party Collaboration: We facilitated collaboration with third-party investigators to ensure effective action. The investigators also supported law enforcement authorities in conducting raids and taking legal action against counterfeiters.
- Investigation and Reporting Framework: We provided a clear structure for ongoing investigations, ensuring thorough documentation and timely outcomes reporting to the client’s management team. This step included monthly and quarterly updates.
Deploy: Executing the Anti-Counterfeit Strategy and Implementation
The deployment phase focused on translating the insights from the design phase into actionable recommendations:
- Investigation Prioritization: We advised the client to prioritize the most critical counterfeit issues, ensuring the effective allocation of resources to areas of high risk and potential damage.
- Strategic Partnerships: We encouraged the client to develop strategic partnerships with third-party investigators and legal teams to maximise the impact of their efforts and enhance operational efficiency.
- Regulatory Compliance: We assisted the client in understanding and complying with local intellectual property rights regulations, ensuring that all actions were legally sound and aligned with best practices.
Impact: Strategic Business Outcomes and Brand Protection
The implementation of this strategy led to significant improvements for the client:
- Improved Brand Positioning: By addressing counterfeit activity head-on, the client enhanced its brand positioning, ensuring that consumers received authentic products, thus maintaining brand value.
- Reduced Counterfeit Volume: Through proactive investigations and legal actions, counterfeit products entering the market were reduced, safeguarding consumers from unknowingly purchasing substandard goods.
- Stronger Market Recall: The client’s brand image remained intact, focusing on quality, recall, and consumer trust, ensuring continued growth in the competitive marketplace.
Conclusion
Evalueserve’s IP and R&D comprehensive anti-counterfeit strategy helped the client mitigate the impact of counterfeit products on its brand. By leveraging actionable insights, operational intelligence, and third-party collaboration, the client successfully navigated the complexities of the counterfeit product market. The outcome was a stronger market position, enhanced consumer trust, and the protection of brand integrity in an increasingly challenging market.
