De La Rue Appoints New Brand Protection Chief
Thursday, November 08, 2001
DE LA RUE PLC
8 November 2001 PRESS RELEASE
DE LA RUE APPOINTS NEW BRAND PROTECTION CHIEF
De La Rue has given a further boost to its brand protection unit with the appointment of Colin Frey as Business Director.
Mr Frey joins from Pepsi Cola where he was Director, Global Strategy. His experience in international business management has also included roles with Shell, Boston Consulting Group and General Electric.
Building on over 200 years’ experience and its position as the largest commercial security printer in the world, De La Rue has emerged as a leading provider to brand owners of solutions against counterfeiting, copycatting, tampering and diversion (parallel trading). The company’s brand protection clients range from Microsoft to Allied Domecq; Rover Cars to Bayer Pharmaceuticals, clearly demonstrating that no product type is immune to brand infringement.
Commenting on his new role, Colin Frey said:
"I believe that we are now entering a new phase in international business management in which protection of the brand asset is an integral part of the whole brand development programme. More and more CEOs are alive to the necessity to ensure brands are protected from counterfeiters and grey market traders. This is a major growth area. De La Rue is uniquely placed to capitalise on the market’s need for end-to-end strategies as well as technical solutions in the fight against counterfeiters and pirates to protect, strengthen and enhance their brands."
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About De La Rue
De La Rue is the world's largest commercial security printer and paper maker, involved in the production of over 150 national currencies and a wide range of security documents such as stamps, cheques and vouchers. The company is also a leading provider of cash handling equipment and solutions to banks and retailers as well as operating national ID schemes and passport issuing systems on behalf of governments worldwide. De La Rue also acts as a strategic partner and adviser to global brand owners offering them total solutions that capitalise on De La Rue's reputation for security, integrity and trust, in areas such as brand protection, supply chain integrity and brand enhancement.
For more information on De La Rue visit: www.delarue.com
Editor's Notes
Threats to Brand Owners Include:
Diversion
This form of brand infringement can shatter a carefully laid selective distribution strategy and leave brand owners official stockists seriously undermined by a steady flow of branded goods, sourced from lower-priced markets and brought into countries for which they were not intended.
Counterfeiting
Counterfeiting is now a worldwide problem. Often, the perpetrators are a trusted part of the supply chain, exploiting privileged information from legitimate contracts to release faked products at the same time or even ahead of the brand owner.
Copycatting
Whilst copycats are not actually counterfeits, soundalike and lookalike products steal market share and exploit the brand owner's investment in design, development, production and marketing. It is vital that security is built into every stage and that any leaks can be identified, traced back and quickly corrected.
Tampering
Subversive opening of packaging to modify or substitute the content within in order to dupe consumers or extort money from the brand owner.
Examples
Some of the brand companies for whom De La Rue provides brand security include:
Calvin Klein - clothing
Microsoft Office software and computer peripherals (mouse)
Bayer - pharmaceuticals
Rover - car parts
Others include a leading sportswear brand, a high value giftware company and a major personal hygiene product.
De La Rue Brand Protection Can Provide the Following for Editorial Purposes:
In-depth articles on brand protection De La Rue Brand Protection can provide articles, written by any of its experts in various industry sectors, on brand protection issues such as parallel imports, counterfeiting, risk management, technical aspects and solutions to brand protection.
Expert Comment
The company's brand protection experts can provide in-depth analysis of the issues affecting today's global brand owners in their fight to protect brand integrity and market share.
Research and statistics
De La Rue Brand Protection can provide information and statistics relating to the economic impact of damage to brand integrity via counterfeiting and diversion.
Images
Images include a wide selection of fake goods, technical solutions and diagrams of the supply and risk chain - available via email or ISDN.
For media enquiries contact:
Patricia Lennon on: (tel) + 44 1943 604027 or (fax) +44 1943 601303
Email: plennon@blueprintpr.com