Tackling Trademark Infringement, Retail Arbitrage & MAP Violators When dealing with brand policing there is no silver bullet. Take charge and implement defensive strategies to police your brand on Amazon to help you fight retail arbitrage and trademark infringement & enforce minimum advertising pricing. Some Topics We’ll Discuss: Introducing New Brand Registry Brand Policing Proven Tactics Combating Copyright Infringement Minimum Advertising Pricing Policy Enforcement Working Against Retail Arbitrage Don’t Miss Out—CPC Strategy & Market Track team up to provide actionable tactics for brand protection on Amazon.

1. Proactively Protect Your Brand From
Unauthorized Sellers On Amazon

2. ● Session Recording + Slides Will Be Sent Out
● Join in the Poll Questions!
● Submit Questions to Our Panelists
Today’s Logistics
Analicia Santaella
Webinar Coordinator

3. Overview
Founded in 2007
Google Premier Partner
400+ Active Retail Clients
Top 50 Fastest Growing Company San Diego
D E L I V E R I N G
L A S T I N G
R E S U L T S F O R O U R
C L I E N T S
Solutions
Retail-focused PPC & Shopping
Amazon Sales Acceleration
Facebook Performance Marketing
Creative Services
About CPC Strategy

4. Solutions

5. Overview
35 Years in Business
2,100+ clients (retailers, brands, agencies, brokers)
Acquired InfoScout in 2017
The omnichannel market
intelligence brands & retailers
need to connect & win with
consumers
Solutions
Digital Shelf Measurement
Competitive Pricing Intelligence
MAP Monitoring & Enforcement
Where to Buy / Buy Now / Buy Local
Advertising & Promotions Optimization

6. Today’s Speakers
Stuart Dooley
Marketplace Channel Analyst
Jennifer Maurer
Product Manager,
eCommerce Solutions
Stuart Dooley
Marketplace Channel Analyst
Jennifer Maurer
Product Manager,
eCommerce Solutions

7. Today’s Agenda
● Introducing the New Brand Registry
● Battling Retail Arbitrage
● Combating Intellectual Property Infringement
● Minimum Advertising Pricing (MAP) Policy Enforcement
● Brand Policing Case Studies

8. To Protect and Serve (Your Brand)

9. Copyright 2017 - Q4 Amazon Virtual Summit
58% of product searches start
on Amazon.com
Amazon is More Important to Brands than Google

10. Copyright 2017 - Q4 Amazon Virtual Summit
Biggest Risks to Brands (and Retailers) Selling on Amazon
1 2
Erosion of
Consumer
Trust
Deterioration
of Supply Chain
Relationships

11. Protection Beyond the Brand Registry
Erosion of Consumer Trust Deterioration of Supply Chain Relationships
Thwart
Unauthorized
Sellers
(3P)
Prevent
Price
Erosion
(1P & 3P)
Prevent IP
Infringement
(3P)
Brand Equity Protection

12. Introducing Brand Registry

13. Defining Brand Registry
What is Brand Registry?
● Helps brands protect their registered
trademarks in Amazon
Benefits of Brand Registry
● Creates trusted experience for customers
● Offers basic protection tools for brand
● Provides greater authority over you detail page
● Access to EBC

14. Update to Brand Registry: Support & Protection
Brand Protection
● Sellers have power to identify:
○ Names of shady seller
○ Condition of their listed products
○ Origin & landing cost of product
● Brand owners can ask for legally
identifiable information
Brand Support
● Report a Violation tool
○ Test buy of not needed
○ Text & image search
○ Protective automation
● Dedicated brand support team
○ Claim response within 4 hours
● Brand owners can whitelist sellers

15. Limitations of Brand Registry
1. Does not prevent other sellers from selling your branded products
2. Brand’s responsibility to enforce agreements (MAP, distribution, etc.)
○ Although, Amazon does not abide by MAP
3. Does not take legal action combating against violations
Brands
need to
re-enroll
Pending
trademarks
not
recognized

16. Battling Retail Arbitrage

17. Breaking Down Retail Arbitrage
Retail Arbitrage: re-seller buys a product re-selling online for a profit
● Look further up the chain, past Amazon
● Prevent by working backwards - supplier relations
Top sources:
1. The Brand (as wholesale client)
2. Liquidation Events
3. The Brand’s Supplier
Top negative impacts:
1. Brand Credibility
2. Buy Box

18. Enforce Stronger Supply Control
● More control on pricing, wholesalers & distributors
● Avoid selling products more than 30% off MSRP
● Prevention starts before Amazon Marketplace
● Serializing Products
● Establish supplier relationships
● Focus on distributor communication

19. Implement Resale Clauses
● Secure appropriate documentation
around pricing
● Necessary for removing resellers from
Marketplace
● Create white and black list for re-sellers

20. Limit Promotional Codes
● Prevent bulk purchases when offering discounts
○ Set deal expirations
○ Set limit of purchases
● For example: Amazon Lightning Deal

21. ASIN Merging for Vendors
● Protect brand against unauthorized sellers
● Knocks out unauthorized sellers from the
search results
● Clean up your products’ catalog listing

22. As of today, Amazon is
not legally responsible
for the actions of 3rd
party sellers….
But they’re trying to be
proactive with brands
with their Transparency
Program

23. Copyright 2017 - Q4 Amazon Virtual Summit
Tightly controlled
distribution is your
#1 tool to combat
unauthorized sellers
Final Keys to Controlling Your Product Placement
• Put a dealer authorization program in place
• Dictate which sites and marketplaces your
retailers can sell on
• Create product exclusives across channels
• Implement end-of-life & closeout strategy
• Create a Do Not Sell list

24. Client Impact Story:
75% Reduction in Unauthorized 3P Sellers
Value RealizedAction TakenBusiness Need
A tool manufacturer was
seeing a dramatic uptick in
unauthorized 3P sellers on
Amazon and needed to
regain control of its supply
chain.
Elimination of unauthorized
resellers and vigilant
monitoring and outreach
resulted in a 75% reduction
in unauthorized 3P sellers on
Amazon.
Working with Market Track,
the company implemented
an authorized seller program
and identified who was
purchasing through their
distributors.

25. Prevent IP Infringement

26. “When you add your
copyrighted image to a
product detail page,
you grant Amazon and
its affiliates a license to
use the material.”

27. Copyright 2017 - Q4 Amazon Virtual Summit
• Use the Amazon Brand Registry
• Limit the variety of items sold
• Limit the number of items sold
• Conduct undercover product buys
• Employ an expert legal team
Selling only a
limited assortment of
products on Amazon
is your #1 tool to
combat IP
infringement
Protecting Your Intellectual Property

28. Copyright 2017 - Q4 Amazon Virtual Summit
Enforcement: Through Copyright/IP Team Portal

29. Client Impact Story:
Temporarily Cutting Ties
Value RealizedAction TakenBusiness Need
A knife manufacturer
found that its copyright
and trademarks were being
infringed upon on Amazon.
Regaining control of its IP
allowed this company to
vigorously enforce its
copyrights and trademarks
via Market Track’s brand
protection services.
Working with Market Track,
the company was selective
with their product
placement on Amazon in
order to de-list products
due to copyright and
trademark infringement.

30. Prevent Price Erosion

31. Amazon prices
dynamically based on
competing prices in the
market, which can put
pricing policies at risk.

32. Copyright 2017 - Q4 Amazon Virtual Summit
• UPP: Unilateral pricing policy
• MAP: Minimum advertised price
• eMAP: Electronic minimum advertised price
• UMAP: Unilateral minimum advertised price
• MRP: Minimum resale price
There is no
enforcement without
a pricing policy; there
is no pricing policy
without enforcement
Defining Your Pricing Policy

33. Copyright 2017 - Q4 Amazon Virtual Summit
1. Have a comprehensive policy
2. Be specific about violations
3. Clearly define strike levels
4. Communicate frequently
5. Administer rigorously
If you’re not
willing to enforce
it with your
biggest customer
don’t include it!
Five Steps to a Successful Pricing Policy

34. Client Impact Story: Implementing a Price Policy
$200,000 in Additional Revenue Per $1 Million in Sales
Value RealizedAction TakenBusiness Need
A hard goods manufacturer
was seeing continued price
erosion eating into its
profits, and needed it to
stop.
Successful MAP
enforcement raised the
average selling price by
20%, resulting in $200,000
in additional revenue per
$1 million in sales.
Working with Market Track,
the company launched a
MAP monitoring program
aimed at safeguarding
current and future channel
partnerships.

35. Recap of Today’s Agenda
● Introducing the New Brand Registry
● Battling Retail Arbitrage
● Combating IP Infringement
● Price Erosion Policy Enforcement
● Brand Policing Case Studies
Expect
What You
Inspect

36. Enjoy FREE content resources, and schedule a
briefing with us today!
Download some of Market Track’s latest resources directly from the GoToWebinar console,
including insights into Amazon’s advertising strategy relative to their major retail competitors.
Need more insight into competitive pricing, listing
placement, and/or product details on Amazon?
insights@markettrack.com
What Now?

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Schedule Your 1-1
Amazon Strategy Evaluation
CPC Strategy’s Amazon Strategy Evaluation is a comprehensive 60-minute analysis and
assessment of your Amazon Seller Central account, advertising programs, product order volume,
and profitability metrics.
http://bit.ly/Amazon-Brand-Policing-Evaluation
What Now?

38. Questions for Today’s Speakers?
Stuart Dooley
Marketplace Channel Analyst
Jennifer Maurer
Product Manager,
eCommerce Solutions