Brand Integrity in a knock-off Marketplace

When in doubt, knock it off!  Yes, it's an easy thing to do in our industry, with 1000's of factories overseas ready - and willing - to knock off anything at any time with no real fear of consequences.  Unfortunately, what we as distributors don't necessarily think about is the fallout associated with knocking off a product, or putting a client's logo on a pre-made knock-off import.

Before this year's Super Bowl, $13.6 millon dollars worth of fake NFL merchandise was confiscated by federal authorities.  You might think that's a big haul, but really it's a drop in the bucket when compared to the unlicensed merchandise that is sold via the internet and retail outlets.  It's a big business, and the counterfeiters have sped up the production process to such an extent that they outrace the Federal authorities to the dollars, and undersell the licensed properties by more than 50%!

John Q. Public gets cheaper goods with their team/college/brand's name on it, however the brand receives no royalties - and John Q. Public is the one who is potentially on the hook if authorities want to go after him for damages.  The only winner is the retailer, and the chances of them being caught is minimal.

So, what is the harm?  Well the main thing is that it tarnishes your brand, aside from dropping your royalty rates considerably.  It's not relegated to the Sports Franchises, brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Google, etc have all been knocked off at one time or another - and still have that done today.  Worse still, if you have a specific patent, God help you if unscrupulous foreign manufacturers get a hold of your product, you will see cheaper replicas of your stuff on the internet faster than you can Google it.  Ever bought one of those Green-wrist Rolexes in NYC?

How can a Brand protect itself?  One, work with suppliers who are reputable and, more importantly, work with ISO9001 factories overseas who have social compliance audits on hand. Secondly, license your brand with a recognized Brand Licensing company.  Thirdly, trademark, patent and register your brands or products correctly, if you haven't done so already.  That way, in the event of a knock-off - which will come - you have legal retribution available to you.

What is that thing with the numbers on your desk?

I read an interesting blog post today that really made an impact on how technology has changed us - some might say for the worse!  Email, Facebook, Twitter, Text, etc. - we've forgotten as a society that we have a new "old school" form of communication - the telephone.

Yes, it's really easy to simply email or text someone, or even show that YOU ARE PISSED OFF!!!! in worded diatribe, but whatever happened to simple conversation?  Is the written word easier in problem solving, showing emotion, or conveying urgency?  I struggle with that at times, and I'd like to hear from you - by phone preferably - what you think.

If you don't know my phone number, text me...

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Who's Team are you on?

So I saw this video on Facebook the other day, and I thought we needed to include it on the main Whiteboard site as well as here. It's always good to have a little pep talk now and then, what I like about it is that id resonates in all aspects of life.

We were made to be awesome - how succinct is that line?  And yes, the road less travelled does hurt, it is hard, and yes there is always an easier road in our lives.  But, it is the ones who go down that road who truly are awesome, who fight diversity, achieve against all odds, those are the people that are make a difference.

So, who's team are you on?  Let me know...

What are the Top Brands in Non-Profits?

We all know that the non-profit world is very competitive, and to get your name out there, well is challenging to say the least. Here's a list of brands that really got their names out there in 2012. Some of these are household brands, and some are a bit surprising in their rankings and trajectory to the top.

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Pitfalls of the Modern Day Brand

Thomas Friedman wrote a book that I quote from time to time called The World is Flat which details how today's business world has shrunk in terms of time and space.  Because of the internet, social media, etc you can be skyping with someone in China, or having a customer service call with someone in India, or have a video conference with people from 3 different continents while editing the same document!

So what, we've been doing that for years, what does that have to do with my brand?  It is because of this flattening phenomenon that brands can become household names much faster than ever before.  Look how quickly Google became a term for looking something up vs. how long it took for say, Coca-Cola to become a worldwide term for soda.  Yes, the barrier to becoming a household name is considerably lower than ever before, however at the same time, there are major pitfalls that you need to be aware of in your rise to brand supremacy. 

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This Month's Non-Profit - GA Transplant Foundation!

The GA Transplant Foundation holds a special place in my heart, and is this month's featured Non-Profit for Whiteboard Promotions.  As many of you know by now, I was blessed to receive a kidney from an amazing person, Cristina Zakis my Angel on Earth in November 2010.  What you don't know is that the GA Transplant Foundation paid her family's mortgage while she recovered, and helped pay for our health insurance as well.

 The GA Transplant Foundation is an organization that provides financial and educational assistance to those who are undergoing or awaiting an organ transplant.  The organization helps with fundraising, job training and placement, Insurance needs, financial planning, and many other functions that help reduce the stress involved with the transplant process.  As some of you may know, getting a transplant is really only the beginning of the journey for a patient, every month there is an enormous cost in terms of doctor's visits, drugs, etc.  Drug costs alone can run upwards of $25,000 a year, so the GA Transplant Foundation offers a unique opportunity to assist the transplant community.

For more information on this wonderful Non-Profit, please go to https://gatransplant.org/ and look at helping out in any way. 

This Month's Non-Profit - ASP!

We at Whiteboard Promotions work with a lot of Non-Profits, as we feel its our corporate responsibility to contribute to our communities in more than just an economic capacity. As a beneficiary of the good work done by a non-profit when I was sick, well to say we have a soft side for them is an understatement! So we have decided to highlight several of the non-profits that we work with currently, and this month we'd like to introduce you to one of our Favs - the Appalachia Service Project. ASP is an amazing organization, as each year it goes into the Appalachia area of our country and fixes the homes of those in need. Their goal is to make homes "warmer, safer and drier" for needy families. And for more than 40 years, they've done exactly that for thousands of families. Take a look at this video, for more information on ASP:


Also, go check out their website at http://www.asphome.org/