Packaging is literally the first point of contact between your product and the customer. Whether it’s food, electronics, tools, clothing, whatever is printed on the packaging is taken at face value and assumed to be true, but most importantly a genuine product. However, counterfeiters are becoming craftier and can create convincing copies of your product, right down to the packaging, fooling the unknowing customer. It is paramount that you protect your products and brand reputation by investing in package authentication technologies.
Authentication comes in both overt and covert forms. In other words, authentication that is obvious to the consumer and authentication that requires more scrutiny or even specialised equipment to detect. Think of packaging like print money. There are obvious ways to tell a real note from a fake one, and others that are not so obvious unless you do some research. For example, the newer Australian dollar notes are some of the hardest to counterfeit because they use a combination of several authentication technologies. By examining the note for the marks of authenticity, the customer is confident that they are holding legal tender and not a counterfeit, which has no inherent value and is illegal to use.
Much like how print money is becoming more sophisticated and difficult to forge, the same principal can be applied to your packaging. From holographic labels, fluorescent ink, indentations, materials used and even the amount of detail printed on the package itself are some of the ways to deter counterfeiters. Other innovations to consider include watermarks, sealants, microdots and encryption.
Tamper-proofing is also essential. Your product has to safely make it from the manufacturer, to your warehouse and then into retailors and dealerships. While in transit it must remain untouched except by the workers loading and unloading your product. Thieves and saboteurs looking to disrupt your supply chain and destroy your brand reputation can tamper with your product while it is most vulnerable – that is while it’s being transported from the supplier to the storefront. Tamper evident packaging can protect your customer from any malicious activity and is required by law.
Finally, educating your customer on how to distinguish genuine articles from counterfeits is essential. Inform your customers of the more overt authentications to give them the peace of mind that they are purchasing a genuine product. Make sure customers are purchasing your product either directly from you or from a reputable reseller or dealership. For resellers, informing them of the covert authentications and how to identify them, or giving them the means to detect them can ensure that they are selling genuine products.
In an age where counterfeiters are getting craftier, it is important that businesses and manufacturers remain a step ahead of them. Authentication technologies for packaging is the simplest, most cost-effective way to deter counterfeiters, ensure consumer trust and maintain your brand’s reputation.
Looking to protect your product? Contact NanoTag today and inquire about brand protection for your packaging.
