Proposed Solutions to the Brand Protection Challenges and Counterfeiting Risks Faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

ABSTRACT

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are vulnerable to the same counterfeiting threats faced by larger businesses, yet, the unique brand protection challenges they face have not been explored. These challenges relate to resource constraints that make it difficult to implement traditional brand protection strategies. This article discusses the problem of product counterfeiting from the perspective of SMEs, while considering how the resource constraints they face impact their ability to establish brand protection programs. Potential solutions are described, and 10 testable propositions intended to guide future research and the practice of brand protection in SMEs are proposed.

KEYWORDS:

• SMEs
• counterfeiting
• brand protection
• guardianship
• risk management