SnapDragon was born out of our founder’s own fight against counterfeiters in the toy industry – so for us, it’s personal.
The nursery and toy industry faces unique challenges in online brand protection. Unlike many other sectors, counterfeit products in this industry don’t just pose a financial risk but are also a direct danger to the safety of children: their primary users. Addressing these risks is vital to safeguard brand reputation, consumer trust, and young lives.
Counterfeit Products - A serious safety threat to consumers and children
The most alarming consequence of counterfeits on the childhood product market is the direct danger they pose to children. Unlike genuine products, which go through rigorous safety testing and meet strict regulatory standards, counterfeits prioritise profit over safety.
This can result in toys that break easily, have sharp edges, or contain hazardous chemicals. Nursery items, such as cribs or high chairs, made with inferior materials could fail catastrophically: leading to potentially fatal outcomes.
Keeping youngsters safe: 4moms
Baby product company 4moms had this issue, with dangerous counterfeit products suspected of bypassing safety regulations appeared on Chinese ecommerce platforms. They also faced grey market sales of goods on international platforms, and bad actors impersonating them on social media. SnapDragon were able to protect their full suite of baby products across 30 global platforms.
“SnapDragon has played a key role in protecting and strengthening the 4moms brand’s online presence by eliminating counterfeit 4moms listings in the International marketplace."
For an industry focused on providing safe, high-quality products to young children, these dangers underscore the urgent need for robust brand protection measures.
This is more than a reputational issue—it’s a life-threatening risk that demands swift action. Learn about understanding online brand protection threats before they become too big to handle.
Damage to bottom lines and reputations
The financial impact of counterfeits on the nursery and toy industry is significant. Counterfeit products are often priced lower than genuine items, diverting sales away from legitimate businesses.
A report by EUIPO found that, in 2023, the sale of counterfeit toys accounted to 8.7% of sales of €1 billion in revenue.
This erosion of market share can hurt established companies and stifle growth for smaller, innovative brands.
Play&Go's story
Play&Go, a global brand known for their unique play mat storage bags, found themselves in this position when counterfeiters were detected selling potentially dangerous mats. The value of these threats was estimated to be over 100k EUR per year. Over 1.9k counterfeit goods were removed through a partnership with SnapDragon, preventing these potentially dangerous counterfeits from making their way into playrooms.
“Our long-term partnership with SnapDragon Monitoring is key in defending our brand and customer safety.”
Beyond immediate revenue loss, the long-term impact includes loss of consumer trust. When people unknowingly purchase counterfeit items and receive low-quality products, their dissatisfaction often reflects poorly on the real brand, further harming market position. There’s also the issue of legal costs related to fighting the proliferation of counterfeit products.
Safeguard the future with a robust online brand protection strategy
The nursery and toy industry can’t afford to take online threats lightly. With children’s safety on the line, brand protection is more than a business strategy. It’s a moral imperative. By partnering with brand protection experts like SnapDragon, brands can ensure their customers remain safe.
Using a combination of advanced software and dedicated brand protection experts, protection teams, SnapDragon helps toy and nursery companies to safeguard their products online. We use AI-powered image recognition, logo detection, and text analysis technology to scan online platforms for counterfeit products, and flag unauthorised use of trademarks, copyright and designs.
From identifying lookalike websites hosting fake product listings, to supporting brands in filing takedown requests to online platforms, SnapDragon helps brands stay one step ahead of bad actors.
Speed is critical in the fight against counterfeits. SnapDragon’s solutions ensure potentially dangerous products are removed from the market as quickly as possible, particularly over key events such as Christmas, minimising risks to children and restoring consumer confidence.
Learn more about SnapDragon brand protection software, and book your free consultation to see how we can help you.
