Effective Partner Compliance Strategies

Transcription

1 Effective Partner Compliance Strategies Managing Online Partner Compliance Darla Rumsey Sr. Client Engagement Manager, MarkMonitor 2015 MarkMonitor Inc. All rights reserved.

2 Agenda Why Partners Go Astray Common Types Partner Brand Misuse Impact of Partner Brand Abuse Best Practices for Enabling Partner Compliance 2

3 Online Partner Ecosystem Valuable Business Relationships Common Partner Types: Channel Partners Dealers Distributors Resellers Independent Reps Affiliates OEM s Agents Trusted Partners? What Are They Doing Online? 3

4 Why Partners Go Astray or Rogue Misguided May not know a policy is in place Don t understand implications of non-compliance VS Intentional They know they are not being monitored Motivated by financial gain 4

5 5 Examples of Brand Misuse

6 Domain Abuse Use of Brand in the Domain: Customer Confusion, many online policies forbid the use of the brand in a domain Parked Sponsored ad pages Traffic Diversion Purchasing several domains so they are not available to other partners 6

7 Websites Displaying proper logos Claiming you re a higher partner level than granted Combining logos or creating their own logo with the brand Lack of disclaimers on partners site Links on the site 7

8 8 Websites Example Obscured Corporate Branding

9 Search Engine Branding Partners Organic Listings and AdWord Campaigns Counter Branding Language: below dealer cost cheap, deep discount, outlet overstock, special purchase finance anyone, bad credit? no problem thousands off MSRP Problematic ads: By copying the national ad campaign s ad format, retailers raise their ad s Quality Score which raises the rank, but also raises the cost of the brand as a keyword 9

10 Marketplaces Monitor seller behavior Know your rights trademark and copyright Track and report partners Educate your partners about your policy 10

11 Marketplaces - Example Risks: Price Competition Brand Integrity Customer Confusion 11

12 Social Media Impersonation page names: brand name Tampa Copyright abuse and logo abuse Combining the brand with competing brands Links to non branded ecommerce sites 12

13 13 Social Media - Example

14 Impact of Partner Brand Abuse BRAND DILUTION Brand equity diluted through bad user experience REVENUE LOSS Brands pay more to keep up with the hike in advertising costs CHANNEL EROSION Inconsistent brand experience, customer confusion LEGAL LIABILITY FTC will hold marketers responsible for the actions of their affiliates 14

15 Best Practices for Partner Compliance 15

16 1) Create a Structured Program Ensure Agreements Clearly State Online Expectations Under no circumstances will Brand Partners be permitted to Brand Protections Awareness Stand By Your Online Policies Cross-departmental effort Brand Support Team brandprotectionteam@brand.com 16

17 2) Proactive Monitoring Identify and Track Daily Client s known partner list WhoIs information Landing page phone, return shipping Image logo, copyright image Reverse WhoIs other owned related sites Links 17

18 3) Encourage Compliance Stand Behind Your Policies Respond to Partners who push to operate outside compliance firmly and fairly The policies around URL registration and use were established to create a level playing field for our Partners in the digital space, so we appreciate you working with us to resolve this issue. Support your policy and explain why Under no circumstances will Brand Partners be permitted to operate URLs that contain specify guidelines. The URL of brandpartnersite.com violates this rule, which is why the request to transfer the domain to Brand Inc. was issued. Cleary provide the compliance issue to be corrected Brandpartnersite.com this URL #URLS# does not have permission to operate under Brand Inc.'s. URL guidelines, this partner will be asked to transfer the domain to Brand Inc. 18

19 Example: Retailer Notification Letters specific to the violation increases compliance Identify message origin Explain violation Provide solution Use inclusive language and provide method of verification and contact information 19

20 Summary Identify, Educate, Manage Partners are valuable and should be managed separate from 3 rd party online infringers Monitor partners in all areas of online space Stand by your policies and strengthen your brand online Correct non-compliant partners with notifications and protect your business relationships and your brand 20

21 Q&A Featured Speaker: Darla Rumsey Sr. Client Engagement Manager MarkMonitor Please be sure to submit all your questions via the Q&A tab on your screen 21

22 Thank You! For information on MarkMonitor solutions, services and complimentary educational events Contact us via Visit our website at: Contact us via phone: US: 1 (800) Europe: +44 (0)