Celebrity fragrances among items which could be targeted, says brand protection specialist.
Leading brands are being advised to step up vigilance when it comes to counterfeit products ahead of Valentine’s Day on Sunday.
Online brand protection specialist NetNames, has said that brands including Coco Chanel, Ralph Lauren and Paco Rabanne are being targeted by online counterfeiters.
And, with celebrity fragrances representing a key market for licensing, the news should also ring alarm bells with licensors, too.
NetNames has said it has identified large quantities of suspected fake perfumes available on marketplace sites in the UK including eBay and Gumtree in the run up to February 14.
Gary McIlraith, ceo of NetNames, commented: “High-end counterfeit products like fake perfumes are a particularly serious problem for brands.
“When a fake is sold at an unrealistically low price, the consumer knows that it is likely to be an illegitimate product. However, when a product is being sold at only a marginal discount, the consumer often mistakes it for the real thing – this is when poor quality knock-off goods become associated with a brand.
“The resulting reputational damage can be hard to reverse and many established brands have struggled to recover from the effects of sophisticated fakes trading under their brand name.”
Shoppers are expected to spend £15 million more this year on Valentine’s Day compared to £965 million in 2015, according to Verdict.
Kelvyn Gardner, LIMA UK md, told The Source that licensing will get its far share of Valentine’s Day revenue from sales of greetings cards, gifts and chocolates and luxury confectionery.
There is also opportunity, of course, for licensees such as Lovehoney, which has the Fifty Shades of Grey licence.
