CSC recently participated in an open discussion at the World Trademark Review’s APAC WTR Connect, where we moderated a discussion with brand owners, Western Digital® and PVH, and platform owner, Alibaba®, on the topic: “Making the Platform Relationship Win-Win.”
How do brands define what a platform is?
For the brand owners, a platform could be any distribution service of their products—be it a traditional eCommerce marketplace like Alibaba or Amazon.com®—or other digital service enablers like social media platforms or communication tools like Facebook® with its marketplace, or WeChat.
Between 50% to 70% of a brand protection manager’s work revolves around dealing with platform issues, and this is exacerbated with the pandemic, where more offline activity has shifted online. Not only are consumers purchasing online, but counterfeiters are using online channels to market their goods. There’s also an observed increase on social media with live streaming sellers.
However, despite 90% of the challenges arising within traditional eCommerce marketplaces, brand owners still believe they have a positive win-win relationship with platforms to ensure their brands are effectively protected, and appropriate action and enforcement is being taken against counterfeits.
What is a win-win relationship?
For a relationship to be successful, it involves both parties understanding the perspectives and success criteria of the other party.
How can a win-win relationship be achieved?
It was unanimously agreed that vendors play an integral role in the brand and platform ecosystem. The brand owners themselves cannot handle all issues at once, alone. Vendors help to simplify the enforcement process, which is a much valued time saver.
read more (csc)
How do brands define what a platform is?
For the brand owners, a platform could be any distribution service of their products—be it a traditional eCommerce marketplace like Alibaba or Amazon.com®—or other digital service enablers like social media platforms or communication tools like Facebook® with its marketplace, or WeChat.
Between 50% to 70% of a brand protection manager’s work revolves around dealing with platform issues, and this is exacerbated with the pandemic, where more offline activity has shifted online. Not only are consumers purchasing online, but counterfeiters are using online channels to market their goods. There’s also an observed increase on social media with live streaming sellers.
However, despite 90% of the challenges arising within traditional eCommerce marketplaces, brand owners still believe they have a positive win-win relationship with platforms to ensure their brands are effectively protected, and appropriate action and enforcement is being taken against counterfeits.
What is a win-win relationship?
For a relationship to be successful, it involves both parties understanding the perspectives and success criteria of the other party.
How can a win-win relationship be achieved?
It was unanimously agreed that vendors play an integral role in the brand and platform ecosystem. The brand owners themselves cannot handle all issues at once, alone. Vendors help to simplify the enforcement process, which is a much valued time saver.
read more (csc)
