For several years, there has been a big issue with counterfeit products being sold on Amazon. Even brands as massive as Apple have fallen victim, along with countless others that help make up the 2.5 million independent merchants selling products on Amazon.
Thus far, the process brands have had to go through to remove counterfeit versions of their products from Amazon has not been particularly easy. To this point, whenever a company has noticed any knockoffs, they’ve had to purchase a test version of the item to confirm that it was indeed counterfeit.
They’ve then had to report the issue to Amazon who would then investigate and take action. All of this was a labor-intensive and time-consuming process that held the manufacturers and Amazon unfavorably liable, which is why Amazon has unveiled a new alternative.
Project Zero
In light of these frustrations, Amazon is unrolling a new plan – Project Zero – designed to reduce the number of fake products on their site by putting brands more in control of the fight. The initiative includes a tool that allows sellers to automatically remove listings they recognize to be counterfeit without having to involve Amazon in the process at all.
But how can you know for sure that a product listing is counterfeit simply by viewing it online? The answer is GPAS – Lofton’s Global Product Authentication Service that’s changing the way we verify the credibility of our products.
What is GPAS?
GPAS is a cloud-based brand protection, track-and-trace, and consumer engagement service designed to prevent product counterfeiting and diversion for businesses across a broad range of verticals. Even if you’re not aware of counterfeiting or diversion threats within your organization, you are still at risk of losing critical amounts of revenue and credibility to relentless imitators.
Counterfeiting and diversion can result in:
- A threat to public health and safety
- Irreparable brand damage
- Loss of revenue
- The undermining of legitimate reseller channels
- Lack of supply chain visibility
The best way to protect your name and your customers is with GPAS.
How it works
GPAS easily integrates with the design of your product’s labels and into your existing printing process to minimize disruption on your operations. It works by:
- Enabling the unique serialization and copy protection of your products by creating a unique code on every label
- Providing full traceability throughout your supply chain and into the hands of your customers
- Serving as a unique mobile engagement point for easy authentication
- Delivering ease of use – simply scan the code with your smartphone’s camera to prove authenticity and unleash an array of usable data
Who needs GPAS
Product authentication is a win-win-win scenario that benefits brands, resellers, and customers alike. Every business that manufactures and sells goods is at risk of counterfeiting and diversion. From nutraceuticals and consumer goods to food/beverage and agriculture, the ability to verify the legitimacy of your products is more important now than ever. It’s time to start providing total security for your products and your brand.
Lofton Label & Packaging is the only label and packaging provider in the Upper Midwest to offer GPAS. Contact us today to start developing your custom security solution.
