Interview with Michael Kiefer, BrandProtect
October 29th, 2008 by Paul Eident
I had the privilege of interviewing Michael Kiefer of BrandProtect regarding brand and reputation management. Michael will be part of the “Brand and Reputation Management” panel at Search Engine Strategies Chicago on Dec. 8-12, 2008.
Paul Eident:
In what ways can the Web effect the brand and reputation of an organization?
Michael Kiefer:
Rights: Protect against intellectual property and ownership dilution
Revenue: Protect SEO, online traffic and channel effectiveness
Reputation: Erosion due to impact of customer experience beyond the corporate website
Paul Eident: How does your company, BrandProtect, manage an organizations brand and reputation on the Web?
Michael Kiefer:
By monitoring and managing Internet threats:
- Email scams
- Phishing & Malware
Dilution of Sales & Marketing efforts:
- Traffic Diversion
- Grey market and counterfeit sales
- Reseller/Agent/Broker/Partner compliance issues
- Unauthorized Endorsement and Association
Corporate Integrity issues:
- Defamatory discussions
- PR related issues
- Financial misrepresentations
Intellectual Property abuses:
- Domains, Trademarks & Images
- Leaked documents
Paul Eident:
When would an organization need to contact a brand and reputation management company like BrandProtect?
Michael Kiefer:
Pre-brand launch hopefully. Tipping point data through brand lifecycle is valuable to many corporate groups.
Paul Eident:
Once a threat is discovered, what actions does your company take on behalf of your client to counter the threat?
Michael Kiefer:
That depends on the company and the brand. Inside counsel and outside counsel. Take down, dilution, monitoring, C&D, WIPO arbitration, ect.
