AMZ brand protection: More than just stopping counterfeit sales.
3 essential tools for brand managers on Amazon.
While fighting counterfeiting on Amazon is absolutely vital, it is not the only role that a brand manager must play in AMZ brand protection. This article gives you 3 essential devices which all Amazon brand managers should learn about and incorporate into their protection strategy.
1. How to use product warranties to their full potential.
2. How to remove unauthorized sellers from Amazon most efficiently.
3. How to use factory contracts to protect against gray market sales.
How to use product warranties to their full potential.
Product warranties can be used to obtain two main goals: First, a warranty can ensure that your product falls outside the first sale doctrine. If you have the right warranty in place, unauthorized sellers cannot legally sell your products on Amazon. If an unauthorized seller tries to sell your product, you will have legitimate grounds to remove them from your listing and stop them from selling your product on Amazon. Second, warranties are a powerful tool to build a more loyal consumer base and increase repeat customers. You can use your warranty advantageously to obtain more detailed customer information, and then use that information to build more consumer loyalty, so that more and more consumers will come back to you as new products come out. More consumer information can also be used help monitor and increase your sales on Amazon.com.
How to remove unauthorized sellers from Amazon most efficiently.
Effective cease and desist communications are vital because they are successful in removing unauthorized sellers quickly and efficiently. If you already know how to monitor your Amazon listings for unauthorized sellers, the next step is to learn how and when to send a persuasive cease and desist letter to unauthorized sellers you identify. For those sellers who remain on your listing after you send the letter, you will need to learn how to assert an effective intellectual property complaint on Amazon, or report a policy violation. Reporting another seller on Amazon must be done the right way. Amazon’s platform for reporting sellers is unlike other platforms such as eBay or Alibaba, and it’s certainly not like going to court. If you are already engaged in AMZ brand protection, you should know that there are specific ways to assert certain types of complaints on Amazon to ensure your complaint is successful in removing unauthorized sellers and infringers.
How to use factory contracts to protect against gray market sales.
Finally, when it comes to gray market goods (not counterfeits), you should know that your number one threat, by far, is your very own factory. When you enter factory contracts, those contracts should have teeth so that you can use them to stop your factory from running extra products and sending them out the back door. This practice floods the marketplace with gray market products and steals your sales. As a brand manager, you should learn exactly what to include in your factory contracts, and you should understand how and where your contracts with these factories are actually enforceable.
