Counterfeit education on brand websites

 

According to the OECD’s research, the trade of counterfeit products represents around 2.5% of all global trade, amounting to an annual value of $464 billion and counting.

 

Cosmetics, perfumes, clothing, vehicle parts and pharmaceuticals are the product categories most affected by counterfeiting. However, the trade of fake goods has much wider-reaching consequences for health, the economy and the reputation of the brands concerned.

 

Find out why your brand’s reputation matters!

 

No wonder that brands have taken notice and started educating their consumers about the dangers of counterfeits.

 

 

What is counterfeit education and why do brands publish it on their websites

In general terms, counterfeit education is the knowledge brands share with their customers to alert them to the dangers of counterfeit products and to equip them with the necessary means to protect themselves against these dangers.

 

Depending on the brand’s image, product and usual means of communication, this can be anything from a dedicated page on their website to tutorial videos, pictures, and much more.

 

Check out our tutorial on how to recognise fake products!

 

Whatever form it takes, publishing counterfeit education has significant advantages for your brand. First of all, your attempt to protect your customers from harmful fakes proves that you deeply care about them, which can give a boost to your reputation.

 

Moreover, counterfeit education provides another opportunity to create meaningful, personal connections with your target audience, which in turn is again beneficial for your reputation. In addition, it can even contribute to winning over new customers who land on your page while searching for information on counterfeits.

 

Unfortunately, there are groups of consumers who knowingly buy counterfeits to save money on pricey branded products. Educating them about the dangers they thus expose themselves to may help convince them not to do so, and win them over to your brand.

 

All in all, a counterfeit education page helps reduce both the demand for and the supply of counterfeit listings, diminishing your losses due to fake sales.

 

These sites are immensely beneficial for consumers as well, since they get to learn how to recognise if a specific product is fake, thus saving them from health problems and wasted money.

 

 

What is on a counterfeit education page

The actual content varies depending on the brand’s image and product categories. However, most counterfeit education pages have a few similarities in content.

 

1. Defining what a counterfeit is and why it is dangerous for consumers.
2. Tips for recognising counterfeits. These may include suggestions about what to look for on a product listing before purchasing, and physical features that counterfeits have/lack compared to the original product.
3. An authorised list of sellers where consumers can be sure to get the real thing.
4. A way to contact the company in case of suspected counterfeits.

 

Take a look at a screenshot of UGG’s counterfeit education page below, which features most of these content points.

 

 

Screenshot of ugg.com/counterfeit.html, displaying UGG’s counterfeit education page

 

 

Examples of counterfeit education pages

Global footwear company UGG titled their counterfeit education page “Ensure Authenticity.” The page gives consumers step-by-step instructions on how to recognise a fake UGG listing, e.g. fishy website name, too-good-to-be-true prices, scarce contact information, etc.

 

The page also provides consumers with a list of authorised UGG sellers, as well as a FAQ section that further advises them what to do in case they suspect a listing is fake, or if they have doubts about the authenticity of an already purchased product.

 

 

Related topics

Counterfeits in different industries

 

7 types of harm counterfeits cause you

 

The value in your brand’s reputation

 

 

MAC Cosmetics defines on its page what a counterfeit product is and explains what the company does to fight against them. In addition, the page also details where its products are typically sold and which selling outlets are sure to be fake sellers (e.g. street vendors, private individuals, etc).

 

The company aids consumers by providing a list of authorised stores, as well as contact details for reporting suspected counterfeit products.

 

 

Screenshot of maccosmetics.com/counterfeit-education

 

 

Discover the challenges of the beauty industry in e-Commerce

 

 

Hat and accessories designer Helen Kaminski has also added a page dedicated to counterfeit education to her website. Like those published by UGG and MAC Cosmetics, Helen Kaminski explains why counterfeits are bad for their users, the brand concerned, the economy and the environment in general.

 

Moreover, Helen Kaminski’s page also contains a list of authorised sellers and contact information to notify the company of suspected fakes. Interestingly, this site advises consumers against buying from C2C or auction sites, as the company has no way to verify if the products sold there are genuine or not.

 

 

Screenshot of https://helenkaminski.com/pages/counterfeit-education-helen-kaminski

 

 

Counterfeit education and online brand protection

As online brand protection experts, we at globaleyez welcome every effort on brands’ part to educate consumers and to participate in the fight against counterfeiting. However, as fake products and sellers are becoming harder to distinguish from the real deal, you can’t get by without a comprehensive online brand protection programme in place.

 

Depending on your brand’s profile, the word “comprehensive” may mean very different things here. globaleyez’s flexible approach ensures that you get a programme tailor-made to your brand’s exact needs.

 

For instance, our domain monitoring service detects unauthorised webshops and other pages that use your brand and/or product name without your consent. Our marketplace monitoring service does the same with suspicious product listings on over 150 marketplaces worldwide. In addition, our image monitoring service picks up stolen or copied images that fraudsters use to advertise their products.

 

Our powerful software tools traxster and infrimage quickly detect potentially fraudulent content, including product listings and images. With built-in filters, we quickly discard authorised content and zero in on things that actually infringe on your IP rights.

 

A test purchase allows us to learn more about the origins of a product and the identity of the seller. Finally, we offer to enforce your rights and demand the removal of any infringing content from the internet.

 

 

Conclusion

Educating your customers about the dangers of counterfeits is very important for their health and safety, not to mention your brand’s image and IP rights.

 

However, it’s not enough. You need a comprehensive online brand protection programme to fend off fake sellers and protect your brand against the damage they cause.

 

Contact us and let’s create your tailor-made programme that perfectly fits your brand’s needs.