At PPM, we provide those involved in investigation management, security, and risk with the best incident management software to enhance their business processes. Part of our ethos is also sharing knowledge relating to the business with those involved in it. With this ongoing commitment in mind, we have invited John Buckley to share his ideas on how professionals can effectively manage investigations, brand protection, and loss prevention. To read the first post in this series, click here.
Protecting Your Brand by Knowing the Extent of the Problem
Counterfeiting causes significant damage to the profits of any company that falls victim to it. While in some ways it highlights the desirability of a company’s goods, the simple fact is that money is going into the pockets of someone engaged in criminality that should be going into the company’s profits.
With goods being sold in local markets and on the internet, amongst other outlets, there is significant potential for those engaged in counterfeiting. Unfortunately, given financial constraints there is often a very limited response from statutory bodies.
Below is a link to a good news story for all involved in brand protection from the United Kingdom, with a perpetrator being brought to justice and counterfeit goods recovered.
While the offences originated in the UK, with sales being carried out on the internet, it seems at first as a seemingly small operation, but it could have a global impact.
However, this should not be where this investigation ends for the company whose goods have been counterfeited. There is much to be learned from such an investigation and the information gained from it needs to be used by companies to assist in their anti-counterfeiting strategies.
The absolute minimum that any company should be recording from such an incident is:
- The marketing strategies used by the counterfeiter.
- The type of goods that were being sold and the names of the other brands being marketed.
- How the counterfeit goods varied from the original – distinguishing marks, features, etc.
- The volume of goods that were for sale.
- The cost the goods were being sold for.
- Where the information came from that started the investigation and if there is an opportunity for further exploitation.
- Where the counterfeit goods were manufactured and/or where they were obtained from.
- The details of the person or persons involved in the counterfeiting.
All these details go to identifying the extent of the counterfeiting problem and all need to be recorded in an easily retrievable format, where they can be analysed and intelligence created. This can then be combined with other intelligence and used in the future to generate investigations and brand protection strategies. Good investigation management builds on good intelligence management.
About the author: John Buckley is an independent consultant, speaker, and author with many years of practical know-how in assisting organisations with forming their business priorities and investigation management. He specialises in investigation, intelligence, risk management, and counter terrorism protective security. He is the author of three books relating to intelligence and risk management, and provides training and consultancy on an international basis. John currently resides in the United Kingdom.
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