In an era dominated by digital interactions and virtual marketplaces, we cannot overstate the significance of brand protection in search marketing. As businesses strive to establish and maintain a distinctive identity in the vast online realm, they face the ever-present challenge of safeguarding their brand from trademark infringements, ad hijackers and other potential brand threats. The convergence of search marketing and brand protection has emerged as a strategic imperative, ensuring not only the integrity of a brand but also its sustained growth and reputation.
The nexus of brand and search marketing
Search marketing, encompassing search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, serves as a digital storefront for businesses, enabling them to connect with their target audience directly at the point of interest. However, this potent tool is also susceptible to misuse by malicious actors seeking to exploit established brands for personal gain. This is where the concept of brand protection becomes paramount.
- Preserving authenticity: Counteracting impersonation
In the digital landscape, impersonation poses a substantial threat to brands. Unauthorized third parties, including competitors and affiliates, may create websites or ads that closely mimic the appearance and messaging of genuine brands, leading unsuspecting consumers astray – and reaping commissions they aren’t entitled to.
By implementing vigilant monitoring and taking swift action against such impersonators, businesses can prevent reputational damage and ensure their customers are not misled.
Search marketing offers opportunities for proactive brand protection by allowing businesses to bid on their own branded keywords. This ensures that when users search for the brand’s name, they are directed to the official website, thereby mitigating the chances of falling victim to counterfeit websites or unauthorized resellers.
- Defending against ad-hijacking
Counterfeit products erode a brand’s market share and compromise its reputation for quality and authenticity. In search marketing, counterfeiters may bid on keywords related to genuine products, diverting potential customers towards fake alternatives.
Deploying robust brand protection measures involves consistent monitoring of search results and active collaboration with brand protection platforms such as Adthena Ad-Hijacking. By indexing and reporting the hundreds of affiliate networks, advertisers can detect thousands of instances of affiliate ad hijacks. They will provide evidence of the fraud, including the ad screenshot and affiliate ID.
Adthena recently helped one global hotel brand identify 50 reservations during the last two months. They suspended the publisher for seven days and bookings generated during the period have been canceled for commissioning.