Our flexible brand protection solution suite allows you to start easily with an anti-counterfeit solution for an initial project just for one product in one market or region. Scaling up later and embedding and integrating our solutions into your existing environment and processes is simple and hassle-free.
The U-NICA Protection Circle© combines strategy, technology, operation and intelligence in one holistic approach. The result is a sustainable, scalable, lean and easy-to-implement process with systemic learning mechanisms.
The strategy defines the overall goal for digital product and brand protection. Its boundaries are defined by region, product segment, time, integration and stakeholders. A sustainable strategy for protection against counterfeiting must be adaptable and plan future measures which are defined by insights gained from the analysis of real-time verification data such as distribution, markets, etc. The strategy also defines the level of protection, when and where protection solutions are introduced, whether and how protection is used for specific segments, which user groups are involved, and how to communicate with users and the market.
To quickly adapt a strategy for product and brand protection, it is essential to choose the right technology from the scryptoTRACE® solution suite, based on a modular system with an open arquitecture. When choosing technology elements, the focus is on the level of protection, type of verification users and fast adaptation, to what extend to integrate with the environment of relevant stakeholders, processes and systems.
Our customers benefit from a lean and easy-to-implement solution with minimal invasive impact on current processes and procedures. The solution can be started small and easily scaled up, adapts fast to new situations and involves stakeholders and the desired user groups. The smooth operation does not require training staff for specific tasks, corporate changes or additional processes. Solutions are designed to be minimal invasive.
Every step has an impact and these dynamics have the potential to teach us a lot. You will gain real time insights through aggregated data derived from verification and authentication processes; through geo-location mapping you can identify counterfeit hotspots, grey market diffusion and leakages during distribution. The valuation of this data will also help decision-making for further product and brand protection measures.
Each of our solutions are scalable and intuitive to use with a smartphone. There is no longer a need for special equipment, such as RFID readers, microscopes or UV lamps, to verify your product is genuine.
Digital Security Label™ enables you to secure your products by integrating our unique and copy-proof technologies.
surTRACE® is our latest brand protection solution. Record unique fingerprints on any type of product or surface thanks to our technology so they can be authenticated anywhere in the world.
Our physical brand value protection solutions of the plastoTRACE® suite consists of intraGRAM® and spectroTAG®.
intraGRAM® is a product protection solution which uses diffractive effects. It is mainly a set of visible features and can be used for both product protection and marketing purposes with its holographic appearance. Steel inserts are nano structured, and these structures are transferred subsequently via moulding into plastic.
spectroTAG® markers are easy to integrate as invisible inert additive. However, in addition to mainly plastic substrates, we also can apply these non-affecting additives directly into many fluids such as ink, varnish or oil.
Holographic effects are usually used only on labels and packaging. Our intraGRAM® solution takes things a step further. We enable you to embed traditional holographic effects directly into your product design during the injection molding process. It is a highly efficient and secure way to check authenticity throughout the lifetime of a product. intraGRAM® works on simple principles of physics.
Click here for more informationspectroTAG® is a range of taggants and inks that are completely invisible except to those that know about it. Use spectroTAG products for almost any brand protection scenario and you’ll create a technical barrier that is effectively impossible for counterfeiters to replicate. Our spectroTAG® markers are mixed into raw materials (e.g. plastic granules, printing inks, and lubricants) which are then processed as normal.
Click here for more informationWe ensure you are always in the driver’s seat in your brand protection project. A clear understanding of your market situation in real-time is the foundation for precise further measures to stay always ahead in your fight against counterfeiters.
Product and brand value protection are combined and orchestrated measures that limit the ability of counterfeiters to bring falsified or stolen products onto the market. It is not limited to a channel and covers online marketplaces as well as traditional brick-and-mortars. Of even greater importance is the protection of sensitive information by eliminating security gaps in the relevant processes.
All product and brand protection measures can be assigned to one of three categories. These include legal measures, such as IP and brand registrations, prosecution and enforcement of rights, process-related measures such as the integration and control of processes across internal and external stakeholders to prevent the leakage of sensitive information, and protective measures such as internet searches and the application of adequate protection on physical products. Measures of all categories are mutually reinforcing and equally important in your fight against counterfeiters.
Through intelligent utilization of data, product protection and marketing become complementary elements and not opposing forces, thus leveraging the benefit of investments in brand protection in marketing. The product flow, from production all the way to the customer’s hand, give you insights into unique market data that allow you to develop marketing-relevant knowledge. Anti-counterfeit measures demand a well thought-out, strategic approach. Product protection can be implemented visibly or out of view. Depending on the strategy, several interaction possibilities can be used to engage with the customers.
Most product protection solutions are based on a single feature. Whatever the feature is, it has a specific range of applicability which can be wider or more narrow, depending on the feature. In addition, features differ in the level of protection they provide as well as in how invasive they are to your existing processes in their use, application and recognition. While most of the solutions are isolated, significant advantages can be achieved form integrated solutions.
Protection operates on a principle of securely confirming the existence of an authentic mark. A confusing variety of mechanisms exist. The mark applied to the product can be visible, or invisible, passive or active. Mechanisms may further differ in the way they can be verified: by consumers, experts or forensics, online or offline, digitally, visually by the customer or automatically and more. Our expertise is there to help you choose a tailor-made protection solution without having to evaluate features.
The majority of counterfeits can be rather easily distinguished from a genuine product when both are compared side by side and you know which one is the original. Unfortunately, this is pretty seldom the case. Product protection and brand value protection solutions detect specific product features with which genuine products can be authenticated. If the product is not authenticated it might be a counterfeit.
In order to sustainably protect your brand, a bundle of coordinated measures is required. In addition to securing the underlying rights, the same steps are always used to build effective protection of your brand, independent of the marketplace: information on the situation, setting up of protective measures and enforcement of the law. These steps protect both online and physical marketplaces against counterfeiting, but just as important is the protection of relevant processes along the value chain.
Criminals make an effort to produce almost identical counterfeits. To protect your product, you need two kinds of protection. You must actively protect the processes and data of everyone involved in the creation, packaging, transportation, distribution of the products, and you must use a feature that allows you to distinguish your product from counterfeits.
Once the underlying rights have been secured, the brand name will be defended in legal disputes. But this does not prevent the brand value from being undermined, as this depends on the consumer's sense of trust. That's why you need to focus your brand protection strategy on protecting the customer. You accomplish this by making sure that customers can rely on receiving the genuine product.
Brand and product protection can start silently with the aim of gaining more information about the facts. Depending on the situation, verification information can be obtained via a customer loyalty program or active communication via values (Trust & Care) can be targeted. Communication is always a sensitive matter. Factors that help to define target-oriented communication are, for example, user groups who are to carry out the verifications, whether they are experts or consumers, as well as market features, customer awareness and brand loyalty.
One should never forget that, as with other security and protection solutions, there is no 100% reliability. The reliability of brand protection solutions depends, among other things, on the technology used, the complexity and thus the impediments to imitation, the requirements for providing the protection, environmental influences and the handling by the verification users. Under these conditions, the aim is to find a balance with which the greatest possible effect can be achieved in the fight against counterfeits and to protect the value of the brand.
Product protection and brand value protection solutions recognize specific product markings to authenticate genuine products. Depending on the marking technology, a specialized device is required or a smartphone device with an app can be utilized. If the product can be authenticated, it indicates that product does meet one’s expectation of an origin product. Otherwise it might be an expired, stolen or counterfeit product.
You are turning to us – great. But don’t worry, even though we would love to tell you about us and the comprehensive solutions we offer, we will never flood you with phone calls and emails. Instead, direct interaction with our brand value and product protection solution advisers will help to configure a solution proposal catered to your needs. We would only start further actions if you believe that we could be a good fit for your business – the decision is yours to take.
