Black Friday & Christmas – A Threat Against Your Brand?
- IP & Trademarks
- Strategy
As Black Friday and Christmas approaches, online brand infringements spike, increasing the risk of counterfeit goods sold as 'limited-time offers'. While the busy sales period brings opportunities, it also poses security and technical challenges that can impact sales and customer trust. Implementing protection strategies early is key!
Black Friday Frauds in Numbers
70%
of British consumers are concerned that AI will increase online fraud. Online retailers are being urged to strengthen their security as AI-driven scams pose a growing threat to shoppers.
51%
Of fraud cases involving social media platforms. Showing that social media platforms are by far the most likely medium for shopping fraud to take place.
£10.6 million
British citizens lost £10.6 million to online scams between November 2022 and January 2023.
Source: ncsv.gov.uk and actionfraud.police.uk
Get Ready for the Busy Sales Period
with Our Security Package
Our Security Package combats fake web shops exploiting your brand ahead of Black Friday, ensuring consumers find your official site and retailers first. Protect your revenue and act now to be fully prepared for Black Friday. This is how it works, month-by-month:
October:
Detect Threats
We detect infringements, remove existing fake websites, and block unauthorised sellers.
November:
Monitor and Act
We continuously monitor and take action against new fraudulent websites, with threat identification and recommended steps.
December:
Report Results
We carry out actions like takedowns, warning letters, and dispute resolution. A detailed report of our efforts and results will be provided.
5 Tips to Protect Your E-commerce During the Year’s Busiest Sales Period
1. Manage Increased Traffic
During Black Friday, traffic to your website can explode, comparable to rush hour traffic in a major city. If your website isn’t prepared for this surge, it can lead to slow loading times or even downtime, resulting in lost revenue and dissatisfied customers.
Recommendation
Upgrade your DNS service and consider investing in scalable server solutions to handle traffic spikes without compromising speed.
2. Strengthen Newsletter Security
In the run up to Black Friday, inboxes are swamped with newsletters, making it difficult for customers to distinguish between your genuine messages and fraudulent ones. During this time, cybercriminals often take advantage by sending fake emails that appear to come from your domain.
Recommendation
Implement DMARC to safeguard your customers from fraud. Enhance this protection by combining this with VMC (Verified Mark Certificate), which displays your logo next to your email directly in customers’ inboxes. This builds trust and helps customers easily recognise your genuine emails.
3. Domain Protection Against Spoofing
Many companies operate under a primary domain, often a .com address, and may have registered a few additional domain extensions for protection. However, without a comprehensive email protection solution in place, cybercriminals could exploit your alternative domains to send fake messages that appear to come from your main domain.
Recommendation
Review your domain strategy with your domain partner to ensure you have the right protection in various markets. Implement DMARC for all your domains to prevent them from being misused in fraudulent attempts to dupe your customers.
4. Monitor Against Brand Infringement
Monitoring your brand is vital to quickly address both digital and legal infringements. Cybercriminals may use your trademark or domain name to send fraudulent emails or create fake listings on marketplaces. Robust surveillance identifies threats and allows you to act fast, before customers are affected.
Recommendation
Set up monitoring services such as Web Content Watch, Domain Watch, and Social Media Wach to detect potential threats early.
5. Develop a Strategy for Reactive Efforts
When infringements do occur, having a clear action plan enables you to react swiftly. Decide ahead of time when to employ takedown measures or pursue legal disputes to protect your brand from harm.
Key takeaways
- Holiday season challenges: Major commercial holidays like Black Friday and Christmas lead to a surge in online brand infringements. Lower prices during these sales can lure consumers into purchasing counterfeit goods, posing risks for brands. Protecting your brand legally and digitally becomes crucial during these periods to prevent reputation damage.
- Diverse threats and solutions: Various threats, such as phishing emails and counterfeit product sales, endanger brand reputation. Implementing DMARC for secure email communication and employing modern brand protection approaches involving technology like machine learning and image recognition help combat these threats.
- Comprehensive brand protection strategy: A 360-degree approach to brand protection involves multiple facets, including: obtaining the right level of protection, add monitoring for quick response to infringements, securing email communication, implementing a well-defined reactive strategy for infringements, and maintaining a proactive IT environment to ensure website stability during surges in visitor traffic.
Author
Viktor Berglund
Global Chief Product Officer
Get ready for Black Friday with our Package
Get in touch, and we'll identify your needs!
