Protecting Your Brand on Amazon
Selling your products on Amazon is an effective way to broaden your customer base and increase your products sold. According to Amazon UK statistics, in 2021, Amazon saw £32 billion in sales from the UK alone, proving the value of selling in this marketplace.
But because Amazon is an open marketplace, anyone can sell anything on the site. Sometimes, this means unauthorised sellers may begin selling your products without your permission.
Taking steps to protect your brand from Amazon hijackers and unauthorised parties is paramount to your success on the platform. One of the most important steps you can take is to register your brand through the Amazon Brand Registry. Other strategies can also help enhance brand protection.
Read on to learn the Amazon attacks to watch out for and our strategies for how to protect your brand on Amazon.
Types of Threats to Your Brand on Amazon
As an Amazon seller and brand owner, you must be aware of scam tactics that third-party sellers may use to steal your product idea, capitalise on your existing customer base, and infringe on your rights under Amazon’s TOS.
Here are the different types of threats you may face as an Amazon seller:
Hijacking
Other sellers jumping on your product listing to sell counterfeit products or similar versions of your same product that are not from your brand
Copyright infringement
Other sellers copying your product listings or stealing your product’s images, product detail page, packaging design, or other intellectual property to sell counterfeit items or make money off your brand
False one-star or five-star reviews
Other sellers writing fake reviews on your product pages to trigger Amazon to view your Amazon listing as inauthentic
Trademark infringement
Other Amazon sellers stealing your name or logo that you have previously trademarked
Amazon product listing sabotage
Another seller editing your listing to change the information and sabotage your sales
Patent infringement
Unauthorised sellers replicating your branded product with a slight difference, violating a previously registered patent on the actual product
False I.P. infringement
Other brand owners wrongly claiming that you have infringed on their intellectual property
These scam tactics can result in varying consequences for your Amazon brand. In many cases, they can hurt your sales, destroy your reputation, and steal the branded products you worked so hard to create.
Strategies to Protect Your Brand on Amazon
Whether you’ve fallen prey to Amazon brand theft or are trying to prevent future infringements, implementing Amazon brand protection strategies is essential. Here are a few key things you can do to protect your Amazon account and maintain more control over your products.
Strategy #1: Join Amazon Brand Registry
Joining the Amazon Brand Registry Program is one of the strongest tactics you can use for brand protection on the platform. Here, we’ll explain how to register a brand on Amazon and what protections doing so gives you.
Amazon’s Brand Registry enables you to protect your intellectual property, build your private label brand, enhance your customers’ experiences, and manage your listings. With this programme, you can benefit from the following features:
- Automated protections against duplicate listings based on information you provide about your brand’s products
- Neutral patent evaluation that bypasses court settlements to remove inauthentic products from Amazon’s store
- Easy violation identification and reporting
- Assistance from support staff to resolve listing issues and marketplace policy violations
To join the Brand Registry programme, you must have a pending or registered and active image-based or text-based trademark. You can apply for a trademark through the UK trademark office.
The trademark owner must submit the application to the Brand Registry. As part of the application, you provide the following information:
- Your brand name on the trademark
- The trademark registration number
- The product categories in which to list your products
Amazon will then verify this information to complete the enrolment process. Once you have your brand registered, you can gain full access to this powerful tool.
Note that Amazon Brand Registry does not provide brand gating or prevent other Amazon users from adding fake products to your listing. You may want to join the Amazon Brand Gating programme as well.
Strategy #2: Use Your Logo & Trademark It
Before you can join Amazon Brand Registry, you must trademark your brand. We recommend trademarking even if you decide not to join the registry, as it can provide brand protection on Amazon and other marketplaces.
Once you trademark your logo, you should include it in every product detail you can. If any other sellers start selling products with your logo, you may be able to sue them for trademark infringement.
Strategy #3: Use Amazon Transparency
Amazon Transparency is another protection Amazon provides for sellers. This programme can give you unique barcodes to include on your products, preventing counterfeit product from reaching customers.Amazon Transparency is especially helpful if you’re selling through the Amazon FBA Program, as your products risk becoming lost in the Amazon Warehouse.
You must have a trademark to prove you’re the brand owner before applying for Amazon Transparency.
Strategy #4: Use Sponsored Brands and Brand Analytics to Grow Your Brand
Aside from utilising Amazon’s protection programmes, you can also take measures to boost your brand’s credibility and reach more customers. Establishing yourself as the go-to brand for your product can limit the impact of other sellers trying to sell the same products.
For example, when you enrol in Brand Registry, you can apply to become a Sponsored Brand on Amazon. You can also review your brand’s analytics frequently and make changes to boost sales.
Strategy #5: Work with an Amazon Agency
The best legitimate sellers on Amazon work with qualified marketing agencies to promote their products and prevent hijacking and brand theft.
At Push-Pull, we know the industry’s top strategies to make brands best in class on Amazon. We have helped many brands reach more customers, resist Amazon attacks, and grow their businesses on the Amazon marketplace.
We can work with your existing Amazon team or provide full-scale services to enhance your Amazon presence and boost sales.
Contact us today to learn more about partnering with our Amazon marketing agency.
