Casa > Navigating the fine line between Brand Democracy and Brand Protection
Brand democracy refers to the idea that consumers and stakeholders play a significant role in shaping the perception, development, and direction of a brand. It emphasizes inclusivity, transparency, and engagement—recognizing that brands are not solely controlled by companies but are influenced by the collective experiences, opinions, and interactions consumers, employees and other stakeholders. Companies like GoPro, Apple, Nike and Lego are allowing consumers to be creative with their products and advocate for their products. This organic advocacy can enhance brand visibility and reputation.
My family recently entered the 2024 Peeps contest from the Washington Post and won! This was such a great family experience, and it made me think more about how brand democracy has increased in the past decade with the rise of social media, and consumer engagement.
In the context of trademarks, brand democracy can work in several ways:
Engaging more with brand democracy involves adopting a customer-centric approach and actively involving consumers and stakeholders in brand-related decisions. Here are some strategies to enhance engagement with brand democracy:
“Viral dupes” and “reps” typically refer to products that replicate or imitate popular items that have gained widespread attention or “gone viral” on social media platforms or through other channels. Here’s a breakdown of each:
As brand democracy increases, brands need to be prepared with a brand protection strategy. Consider a product protection solution that works with your existing package codes to identify counterfeits and detect diversion so you can enjoy the fruits of brand democracy without the fear of bad actors.
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