Scott Needham, Founder of SmartScout, is joined by Trajan Bayly on his podcast “The Smartest Amazon Seller.” Trajan discusses the importance for brands to understand their marketplace, the implications that third party sellers cause, along with Gray Falkon’s strategy in combatting unauthorized sellers. All this and more can be found in the podcast below. The…
Gray Market sellers are using AI now, so how do we combat it? With AI… Our platform is powered by AI and automation. We geek out about this stuff. For fun, we asked ChatGPT to create a cool headline and then had it write an article on using AI to combat unauthorized sellers that are using…
A question we sometimes get from brands seeking to defend their sales and customers from the damage of rogue third-party sellers is, ‘What if we receive a demand letter from a seller’s lawyer?’ Our answer is always, ‘So, what?’ and in this article, I’ll explain why. Exercise your right to defend your eCommerce brand and…
Defend your right to protect your customer experience and win back your lost Buy Box Despite what third-party sellers may claim, they do NOT have the right to use your brand however they want to use it. Remember, it’s your brand! You’ve spent years cultivating it, developing high-quality products and perfecting your customer experience. Preserving…
What your customers expect vs. what they’re getting How consumer experience audits protect your consumers and your Amazon sales A little outrage is in order. You’ve invested in market testing, packaging and advertising. You’ve selected omnichannel partners that will provide a consumer experience that is consistent with your positioning. When you list your brands on…
Use our free tool to get a summary of third-party sellers of your products and better protect your eCommerce sales The threat from Amazon third-party sellers is almost always bigger than you think. You’ll have indications: negative reviews on your branded products, dishonest pricing below MAP or even Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), noise from…
Protect Your Amazon sales from Illegitimate 3rd party merchants. The coveted Amazon Buy Box — the top prize for an eCommerce brand. When you control the Buy Box you win more than 80% of sales. When a 3rd party seller drops price or otherwise manipulates the system, that stolen Buy Box takes a deep cut into…
Walmart has been a juggernaut retailer for as long as we can remember, but its recent efforts to leverage omnichannel capabilities and lean into online sales through the pandemic puts it in direct competition with the Amazon marketplace. Walmart’s pickup, shipping, and return policies are not just taking pages out of Amazon’s book. They are improving their…
Lawyers love a win! So too, of course, do the law firms they work for. A win for the client is not only a boon for the attorney, but also a huge boost to the firm’s reputation. Positive results are key to the enduring success of attorneys and firms alike. Yet, when it comes to…
Matt Ellsworth, Sr. Manager, Marketing & Demand at Wiser Solutions Brand protection managers often feel like they’re being forced into a game of Whack-a-Mole when trying to keep rogue sellers from hijacking their products on Amazon. How can companies compete? We outlined several tools to combat the problem in our eBook, “How to Find the Right…
You fought hard to finish strong in 2020. During that battle for growth, you undoubtedly felt pressure from a surge of unauthorized sellers on Amazon. This dramatic rise in seller activity was inevitable, but it remains difficult to quantify. By tracking the increase across our customer base, we made the effort to not only measure…
Aside from potential black market and counterfeit product challenges, what kind of products make up the volume of what’s being sold under your nose on third party marketplaces like Amazon and WalMart? The answer is likely authentic, gray market goods. These are products that have been diverted from your distribution channel by unauthorized sellers. Unfortunately, these sellers have a…
“It seems like we’re playing whack a mole with these unauthorized Amazon sellers. Can you help us stop it?” Brand protection managers often feel like they’re being forced into a game of Whack-a-Mole when trying to keep rogue sellers from hijacking their products on Amazon. Many of them ask the above question to me during…
“Can you solve my Amazon counterfeit problem?” This is another question brand protection managers ask us frequently. In a nutshell, the answer is yes. The Gray Falkon method will stop counterfeit on Amazon. Put more precisely, since our approach stops unauthorized sellers of legitimate products, it will also stop sellers of counterfeit products. As a matter of fact, we can probably…
Increasing shareholder value is the ultimate measure of success. The right brand metrics drive the behaviors that will deliver that shareholder value, but those metrics shouldn’t necessarily be built of cost and revenue components. If financial measures are your primary metric for your brand protection strategy, you might want to rethink your approach. The right…
The Implications of Increased eCommerce in the Wake of COVID-19 Although the outlook for the remainder of 2020 is uncertain, many states across the US are relaxing stay-at-home orders and moving into a new phase of socially distanced shopping, dining, and socializing. When the outbreak of this pandemic surged in early spring, consumers with limited…
Gray Falkon recently conducted a consumer survey that captured 2,477 responses regarding spend on Amazon before the COVID-19 pandemic, during the period of social distancing, and expected spend once the curve is flattened and people resume more normal activity outside the home. In this blog series, we’re taking a closer look at three different product…
Gray Falkon consumer research study shows companies must succeed on Amazon in order to survive and thrive beyond the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Words are inadequate to express the enormity of this global COVID-19 crisis and the tragic impact it is having on billions of families and individuals. Our thoughts are with those whose…
1. Introduction Brand Registry is Amazon’s program for introducing a brand owner to selling online through the retail giant. Once your brand is identified (or registered) in Brand Registry, you gain access to enhanced marketing features, intellectual property (“IP”) protection, and greater control over how your content is presented on the Amazon eCommerce platform. Upon…
Amazon Brand Registry is the online marketplace juggernaut’s way of taking a proactive approach to protecting the integrity and representation of brands whose products are sold on its site. When it comes to capabilities, Amazon Brand Registry boasts a toolkit that includes the ability to control product pages, search for and report infringement, identify improper…
Unfair pricing in the marketplace can have a variety of origins, from liquidation events to display only products to stolen goods, counterfeit, and exploited loopholes in discount programs. Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) agreements provide one avenue to maintain fair pricing within the marketplace. These agreements signify that distributors have committed to act with integrity by…
IMAGINE JEFF BUYS A GIANT BOX OF HERSHEY CHOCOLATE BARS AT A LIQUIDATION SALE. Maybe a local mom-and-pop convenience store is going out of business. Jeff grabs the box, along with some deeply discounted toiletries and nonperishables, and heads home. The box of chocolates sits in Jeff’s car for a couple of days in the…
The Gray Market isn’t about counterfeit. The Gray Market is about a different kind of damage that hurts brands and consumers of those brands. Billions of dollars of authentic goods end up in marketplaces where they don’t belong, sold by people who shouldn’t be selling them. Enlightenment I got it, but I didn’t fully understand…
