Protect Your Brand
If one issue causes me to lose sleep, it’s the potential for our members to see the value of their brands eroded by unethical businesses outside of our industry. During the past several weeks it’s become clear to me that each of our manufacturing members must protect themselves globally.
When I meet a manufacturer, one of my first questions is this: “Where do you produce your product?” In many instances, they tell me 100 percent of their inventory is made here in America. When I follow up by asking if they’ve protected their brands and other intellectual properties overseas, most say they have not. Those problems have become all too common – and not just in our industry.
Even if you never manufacture a single component outside of your own facility, your product and brand are at risk. In fact, threats to our industry’s brands are more nefarious than counterfeiting, because overseas manufacturers constantly change their tactics. You can get ahead of those threats by protecting your brand overseas. The process requires effort, but ATA’s membership manager, Wendy Lang, can help you get started.
Keep an eye out at the end of the month for our eBlast, which will link you to additional resources on this important issue.
What’s Next for the ATA?
Our next effort is to redefine who we are and what we’re here to accomplish. “Strategic planning” is a process every business should revisit regularly. Your Board of Directors has tasked ATA staff with accomplishing this job, and our efforts begin next month. I’ll provide more on that in my next post. Until then, stay in touch. I’d love to hear from you.