Brand Owners’ awareness of Brand Integrity

The distance between markets and manufacturing sites is getting bigger and bigger. This makes counterfeiting, backdoor manufacturing and illegal trade a major problem for brands. Whilst counterfeiting and not being able to authenticate own products are the brands' worst enemies, illegal trade has become a genuine threat to the means of nations and to the well-being of their citizens'. Illegal trade brings down dozens of companies every day and puts an end to hundreds of thousands of jobs each year.

The purpose of this survey is to research Brand Owners' awareness of Brand Integrity, to explore the importance of it in business operations and to find out how Intellectual Property Right-issues are taken care of in companies.

Part A about the background and demographics and tools that are in use

Part B more specific information about attacks that have occurred.

PART A

1. What industry is Your company in?

2. How well is the concept of Brand Integrity understood in your company?	Very well Rather well Rather poorly Poorly Not at all

	In one country	Internationally	Please specify where:
3. Does Your company operate:

a. If Your company operates in more than one country, how would You describe the difference in security level depending
on the country of operations (e.g. more thorough due diligence investigations, better security systems on the products/ facilities)

Yes

If You answered yes, please specify:

4. Does Your company own trademarks?	Yes No

5. Does Your company own patents?	Yes No

6. Does Your company use services of an IPR- consultant (Intellectual Property Rights) company?	Frequently Occasionally Seldom Never We have our own IPR department

7. Does Your company have some type of cooperation agreement with customs (for. e.g. are you part of the IPM, Interface Public Member), please specify?

8. Is there a need for brand protection or product protection because of illegal trade, such as counterfeiting and backdoor manufacturing in Your company?	Frequently Occasionally Seldom Never

9. Do You use third party manufacturers or sub-contractors?	Frequently Occasionally Seldom Never

10. Does Your company conduct due-diligence investigation before making contract with other company?	Frequently Occasionally Seldom Never

11. What tools of standardization Your company has for controlling the quality with sub-contractors or third party manufacturers?(You can choose more than one option)

Efficient contracts

Onsite inspections

Regular/ occasional unannounced audits

Full control over key raw materials/ components

Not allowing the use of unauthorized third party manufacturers or sub-contractors

Quality inspections of products

Confirming production volumes (so there is no threat of backdoor manufacturing or grey markets)

12. Does your company perform regular risk assessments?	Frequently Occasionally Seldom Never

a. If yes, how are these conducted?

13. Is there annual budget for brand/product protection?	Yes No No fixed amount, but if need arises some money is spent

If yes or no fixed amount

a. How much is the budget?

b. How is it used?

c. Is the amount same every year, or does it increase?	Same every year Increases every year Decreases every year

If no

a. Why not?

b. Is Your company planning on making a budget for it?

c. Is there a need for it?

14. What kind brand/product protection tools You currently have in use?

PART B

15. Has Your company encountered brand integrity issues (counterfeits, gray market issues, sub-contractor or third party manufacturer contractual problems etc?)	Frequently Occasionally Seldom Never

16. On what level of the life cycle these attacks occurred (You can choose more than one option):

R&D (Product design/specifications that were not public, business idea)

Manufacturing information

Information about your supply-chain (timetables, distributor information etc.)

Information about your customers

Business strategies or marketing schemes

Other /what? (Please specify in the field below)

a. Please describe these incidents:

18. Are You able to specify the total amount of suspected attempts to compromise Your proprietary and/or trade secret information? Both the unsuccessful and the successful ones. (Please answer with few sentences or with an actual amount of attempts).

19. Please estimate the impact this had on Your company’s reputation and/or profits (Please answer with few sentences or an actual amount).

Brand Owners’ awareness of Brand Integrity

PART A

PART B

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