How to Stay Ahead of Resellers

Katherine Bennett - August 19, 2009

 Have you ever gone online to look for a product and all the ads seem the same? Ever wonder which ads will take you the official site, and which ads are going to take you to an unofficial site. How does a company solve this issue? Set yourself apart so people know that your ad copy will lead them to the original product maker and not a reseller.

When a company is advertising its original product online a rule of thumb is to put the trademark symbol in the ad copy line. This lets people know that you’re the real deal. There can be a lot of competition out there for your very own product. A trademark symbol sets you apart. What’s even better is that competitors and resellers shouldn’t be using your trademark symbol in their ad copy which gives you an advantage.

Secondly, if you have space, put “official site” in your ad copy. This also differentiates you from resellers, especially with the new rule Google recently passed. Google has said that resellers are allowed to put trademarked products in their ad copy if they are reselling it on their site with a price point. Here’s an example. Let’s say you’re Nike, at one point only Nike could say “Nike” in their ads. Everyone else had to say, “We sell those cool shoes with the check mark sign.” Now, that Google has passed this rule, resellers can now say, “Buy Your Nikes at a great price online.” When resellers start marketing, this way, the words “official site” will let consumers know which ad is truly by Nike.

Last but not least, make sure to monitor your core keywords and stay in top position. Remember, not everyone plays by the rules. If you see ads with “official site” in them that don’t belong to your company, do something about it. Contact the company and ask them to refrain from using deceiving ad copy, because they aren’t the official site. Also, Google will allow you to file a formal complaint against those using deceptive ad copy, if that becomes necessary. The clear rule of thumb is to make it very clear to consumers that your ad copy will lead them to the official site.