Björn Borg Case Study, Yellow Brand Protection

THE CASE STUDY Fighting online counterfeiting

Global Brand Protection Summit, Amsterdam22 September 2016

2 2 maj 2023 Björn Borg

THE BJÖRN BORG CASE STUDY – HOW BJÖRN BORG HAS SUCCESSFULLY FOUGHT ONLINE COUNTERFEITING.

• Highlighting the pillars of Björn Borg’s successful anti-counterfeiting strategy

• Showcasing the strategies utilised for online anti counterfeiting and the results achieved

• Exploring the Bjorn Bjorg approach to winning the social media battle


THE BJÖRN BORG BRAND


OUR FIGHT AGAINST ONLINE COUNTERFEITING

Starting off - the problems we were facing • The counterfeiting problem was growing• Low return on anti-counterfeit investment• New battle field emerging – online

[STATISTICS PER STARTING DATE – NO OF ADS FOUND FIRST PERIOD ETC.]


SETTING THE OVERALL STRATEGY AND THE ATTACK PLAN

Pillars of the strategy • Framing the battle ground - online sales• Identifying the enemy – the small resellers• Focussing geographically

And of course – selecting the right partners

• Finding the right online monitoring partner• Connecting with local lawyers on the ground

Designing the program - defining some clear and simple rules

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Global Brand Protection Summit 2016

YELLOW BRAND PROTECTION STEPPING IN – CLIENT SITUATION

• Counterfeits – mainly low quality

• Main problems in the Netherlands and Denmark, as well as in China

• Mainly marketplaces but also some web shops

• Mainly underwear

• Good trademark portfolio!

Status 2010

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• Making sure we had the right documents

• Training – products etc.

• Prioritisation of focus

• Communication and education with all affected online marketplaces

PROJECT KICK-OFFThe need of a good foundation and action plan


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• Finding counterfeit ads that are leaving out the brand name (or misspelling it)

• Netherlands – huge volumes

• Counterfeit prints

KEY CHALLENGES


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The standard copy - Found on iOfferCOUNTERFEIT

• This is an example of a typical copy – with authentic-looking packaging

• 25 USD for a pair

• 10-15 days delivery

• Shipping world wide

• Only Paypal payment

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The super fake – found on c2345.com (Taobao agent)COUNTERFEIT

• This is a typical early copy in China – no similarity to the original at all

• Blorn Borg

• Wholesale pricing

• Location; Shanghai

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Harder to spot the counterfeitsCOUNTERFEIT

• Today counterfeiters are getting better

• Harder to identify the fakes

• Still visible to the trained eye to spot

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SOLUTIONS – MARKETPLACESHow to improve the success rate and efficiency of brand protection

• Make sure you cover all marketplaces. Report sellers continuously (sometimes several times per day.

• Cooperate with legal team

• Educating IP team at marketplaces

• Using smart key words and images

• Keep track of the repeat / serious offenders

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RESULTS - MARKETPLACESFrom Oct 2010 – Aug 2016


36 990 36 216


SO WHAT WERE THE RESULTS FOR US AS A BRAND…?

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SOLUTIONS – SOCIAL MEDIAHow to win the social media battle


• Map all groups (both closed and open ones)

• Clean up old postings

• Follow up on repeat offenders

• Try to identify source by cross-checking data

• Cooperate with legal teams

• Use smart key words and images – it is more difficult to find content on Social Media sites

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STATS SOCIAL MEDIAFrom Oct 2014 – Aug 2016


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STATS SOCIAL MEDIAFrom Oct 2014 – Aug 2016


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• Brand is under control – marketplaces more or less cleansed

• Focusing more and more on the new frontier; social media sites

ONGOINGWhere we are now and where we are going



SOME KEY TAKE-AWAYS

• Set a clear focus – and dare to defocus

• Select the right partners

• Be consistent, and persistent

• Name your enemy

• Aiming for a self-managed program, connect your partners

• Social media is trickier, but not impossible

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Björn Borg Case Study, Yellow Brand Protection