Amazon Brand Registry: The complete guide to apply for it

Amazon Brand Registry: The complete guide to apply for it

Protecting brand intellectual property has emerged as a critical imperative for enterprises. In response to this pressing need, the Amazon Brand Registry program has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses to protect their brands.

Amazon Brand Registry isn't just another program; it's a strategic initiative empowering businesses to uphold their brand reputation and rights on the Amazon platform. Through this program, businesses can register their trademarks and receive instant alerts when attempts are made to upon their trademark rights. Moreover, this registration grants businesses enhanced authority, enabling them to more effectively monitor and remove infringing products.

Whether you're just beginning to sell products on Amazon or you're a seasoned seller, understanding and leveraging the advantages of Amazon Brand Registry is necessary. After all, brand ownership is a crucial component of any effective marketing strategy, and in fiercely competitive markets like Amazon, safeguarding brand intellectual property is essential.

But what exactly is Amazon Brand Registry, and how can it empower your business in the fight against counterfeits? In this article, we deep into uncovering its features, advantages, and the essential steps to embark on this transformative journey.

Here’s a quick peek into the article:

  • What Is Amazon Brand Registry?
  • Eligibility for Brand Registry
  • 7 Steps to Register your Brand
  • Benefits of Amazon Brand Registry

What is Amazon Brand Registry?

In May 2017, Amazon launched an upgraded iteration of its Brand Registry, designed to aid brand owners in safeguarding their trademarks. This initiative goes beyond mere protection; it provides an array of exclusive tools for brand preservation, violation reporting, content creation, and insightful reporting, all aimed at enhancing customer experiences. Brand Registry is building multiple tools and features for verified brand owners to protect their intellectual property and enhancing their brand influence on Amazon.

How do you apply for the Amazon Brand Registry?

Amazon Brand Registry empowers brand owners to safeguard their intellectual property rights while enhancing the authenticity of the shopping experience for customers. To initiate the application process, it's imperative to understand the eligibility criteria and gather the necessary materials.

Eligibility for Brand Registry Application

To qualify for Amazon Brand Registry, your brand must meet one of the following criteria:

  1. Registered Trademark (®): Your brand must possess a valid registered trademark in each country/region where you seek registration. This implies that your trademark has been examined and officially registered by the trademark office, and you have obtained a registration certificate.
  2. Trademark Application in Progress (™): Your brand has a trademark application pending at recognized trademark offices (such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office, European Union Intellectual Property Office, etc.). Even if the trademark has not been formally registered yet, you have submitted a trademark application and are awaiting approval.
  3. Pending Trademark Application Submitted via Amazon IP Accelerator: You have submitted a pending trademark application through the Amazon IP Accelerator service. This indicates that you are collaborating with experienced intellectual property lawyers to expedite the trademark registration process.

Typically, trademark registration can take several months to a year or longer to complete. However, Amazon offers the IP Accelerator service, which connects Amazon sellers with carefully vetted intellectual property lawyers to assist with the trademark process. These lawyers guide you through each step of the trademark application, including trademark searches, preparation, and submission of documents. This enables you to obtain Amazon's approval for your brand without waiting for a year.

Which Countries or Regions Trademarks Can You Apply For?

Currently, Amazon Brand Registry accepts trademarks from the following countries or regions:

  • United States
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • Australia
  • India
  • Japan
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Turkey
  • Singapore
  • Spain
  • Saudi Arabia
  • United Kingdom
  • Egypt
  • Sweden
  • Poland
  • Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
  • European Union
  • United Arab Emirates

If your trademark registration is from any of the above countries or regions, you are eligible to apply for Amazon Brand Registry. Ensure that your trademark meets Amazon's requirements and follow the guidelines for application.

Before Apply for Brand Registry

Before initiating the Brand Registry process, ensure that you have the following materials prepared:

  1. A brand name with a valid registered trademark or a pending trademark application. Your brand's registered trademark must be visibly displayed on your products or packaging, and relevant images must be provided.
  2. The trademark registration number (applicable for ®) or application number (applicable for ™) provided by the Intellectual Property Office.
  3. A list of product categories your brand belongs to (e.g., apparel, sports equipment, electronics).

7 Steps to Register your Brand on Amazon:

  1. Connect to the brand service website and access your account using your Vendor or Seller Central credentials. Then click on "Brand Registry"
  2. Upon logging into your brand registration account, click on the "Manage" tab, then select "Register a Brand," and choose "I have a pending or registered trademark" to begin the application process.
  3. Fill out brand information: Start by entering your brand name, ensuring it matches the information provided in your trademark application. Then, select the trademark office where you registered your trademark from the dropdown menu and enter your trademark registration number or serial number. Finally, answer additional questions regarding trademark ownership, ensuring all information provided is accurate.
  4. Fill out your selling account information: Begin by selecting your business relationship with Amazon, including Seller, Vendor, or Neither. Next, select the product categories you plan to sell in and optionally provide top-selling ASINs, your brand website, and links to other e-commerce sites if applicable. Ensure all information provided is accurate to facilitate a smooth brand registration application process.
  5. Manufacturing and Licensing Details: Disclose whether your brand manufactures products, distributes them, or licenses trademarks to others. Specify manufacturing and distribution locations accordingly.
  6. Submit Application: Review your information and submit the application. Amazon will review it and may reach out for verification if necessary.
  7. Await Approval: Once approved, you'll gain access to Amazon Brand Registry and its benefits.

Please review this guide for a more comprehensive understanding of the Amazon Brand Registry application process.

Benefits of Amazon Brand Registry Includes:

Amazon Brand Registry empowers registered sellers with numerous advantages. Here are some benefits you will have when you enroll Brand Registry:

  • Secure Amazon Listings
  • Protect your Brand from Counterfeiters
  • Ability to Use A+ Content
  • Access to Amazon Sponsored Brands ads
  • Access to Amazon Brand Analytics

Secure Amazon Listings

Enhanced control over your Amazon listings. More security over the buy box less losing of the buy box in situations. You also have more control over your actual listings. If you've ever had someone else change the content of your listing you know how frustrating that is and this will be more in your control.

Protect your Brand from Counterfeiters

With Brand Registry, you gain tools to detect potential brand counterfeiting violations on Amazon. Additionally, you can report such violations within the Brand Registry platform.

Amazon Brand Registry provides powerful tools to help you protect your brand from counterfeiters on the Amazon platform. Through brand registration, you gain access to specialized tools designed to detect potential brand infringement, such as the Amazon Transparency Program and Project Zero.

Amazon Transparency Program

In addition to the tools mentioned earlier, another valuable feature is the option to enroll in the Amazon Transparency Program. This program is particularly significant for combating counterfeiters. It involves generating unique codes, similar to FNSKU codes, for each unit of your product. These codes are then applied to your products and are scannable. Since only you, the brand registered seller, can produce these codes, counterfeiters won't have access to them.

Here's how it works: If Amazon receives goods at the warehouse with your brand but without the transparency code, they will reject those units. As a result, these units won't even become available on your listing, helping to prevent counterfeit products from reaching customers. This feature provides an additional layer of protection for your brand and helps ensure the authenticity of your products on Amazon's platform.

Project Zero

Project Zero is a brand protection program launched by Amazon following the Transparency initiative. It combines the capabilities of self-service counterfeit removal with Transparency serial code enforcement to maximize brand protection.

Project Zero primarily consists of three features:

  1. Automated Protections: Leveraging Amazon's machine learning technology, it automatically scans products on the Amazon platform and proactively removes suspicious counterfeit products. This feature is provided free of charge, allowing brands to protect their products without additional investment.
  2. Self-Service Counterfeit Removal: Brands can use a new self-service tool to remove counterfeit products without contacting Amazon, providing sellers with unprecedented capabilities. Given the unprecedented responsibility placed on brands, there are high expectations for how brands will utilize these tools.
  3. Product Serialization: Brand sellers apply a unique code to each unit of registered products, allowing Amazon to scan and confirm the authenticity of the items, preventing counterfeit goods from entering the warehouse and unauthorized sellers. The product serial numbers utilize the unique codes from Transparency, assisting sellers in actively preventing counterfeits.

To check if you are eligible to apply for Project Zero, log in with your Amazon account associated with Brand Registry. If eligible, you will be automatically notified of brands that meet the requirements for Project Zero registration.

Ability to Use A+ Content

Amazon A+ Content encompasses a rich blend of graphical elements and textual information in product detail pages. Through A+ Pages, additional images and text can be used to enhance product listings further. Only third-party sellers and VC sellers registered with Brand Registry can utilize A+ Content.

A+ content on amazon
Amazon A+ Content

After creating A+ Content, sellers can replace conventional text-based product descriptions with engaging graphical and textual content. Without this tool or eligibility, sellers are limited to plain text descriptions within 2000 characters. However, with A+ Content, sellers can achieve the following effects:

  • Showcase Products with Custom Modules: It allows sellers to add multiple images and modules. Amazon provides 17 different module options, enabling sellers to showcase products from every possible angle. A+ Pages use a reader-friendly format and images to help consumers digest product information, increasing purchasing appeal.
  • Brand Stories Telling: Brand storytelling plays a crucial role. Sellers can showcase their brand background, values, mission, and vision to consumers, fostering emotional connections and brand identity. This not only enhances brand awareness and trust but also helps consumers better understand the brand's core concepts and advantages.
  • Guide Consumers for Cross-Selling: Sellers can cleverly set up links or recommendations for related products, guiding consumers for cross-purchases. This helps increase order value and sales, promoting the sale of product combinations.

Access to Amazon Sponsored Brands ads

After registering their brand, sellers gain access to various additional privileges and features, including the opportunity to use Amazon Sponsored Brands Ads.

Sponsored Brands is an advertising service tailored specifically for registered brands. Through this service, sellers can create customized ad campaigns to boost their brand's exposure and visibility on the Amazon platform. These ads can take various forms, such as Amazon Brand Stores, product video placements, and Product Collection Ads.

Ad format options on Amazon
Amazon Sponsored Brands ads

For sellers who want to utilize Store Spotlight Ads for promotion, Amazon only grants access to Brand Stores to registered sellers. Only registered brands and sellers meeting specific criteria can apply to create a Brand Store and gain access to edit and manage its content. Non-registered brand sellers can still sell products on Amazon but may not have access to create or access exclusive brand pages like Brand Stores.

Seller shop on amazon
Amazon Brand Store

Also you get the ability to upload Amazon sponsored brand Video to your listing which is absolutely huge. We all know how powerful video content is and this is really going to enable you to present your product extremely well. This is a huge advantage to have it. You will have the ability to create your A+ contents or enhanced brand content and right next to that you will have the option to upload a video to your listing.

Access to Amazon Brand Analytics

And last but definitely not least you will have access to Amazon brand analytics which is one of the most valuable tools you will ever get access to. Getting brand analytics you're getting data exactly from Amazon and this is customer search term focused, but remember any search on Amazon is a search to buy. So searches are demand, and you can work this in multiple ways. So here we will show you that what tools you can leverage in Brand Analytics.

  • Search Catalog Performance: This tool provides insights into how your products perform in the Amazon catalog. By accessing metrics such as impressions, clicks, additions to the shopping cart, and purchases, you can determine your product's visibility and ranking on the Amazon website.
Search Query performance on Amazon
Search Catalog Performance
  • Search Query Performance: This tool offers data on consumer performance when searching for keywords on Amazon. By understanding search query performance, you can better grasp consumer search habits and preferences, optimizing your product listings and keyword strategies accordingly.
  • Repeat Purchase Behavior: You can analyze consumer behavior regarding repeat purchases, such as the rate of repeat purchases and sales of repurchased items.
  • Demographics: Brand analysis tools typically provide insights into consumer demographic information such as age, gender, and geographic location.
  • Top Search Terms: By analyzing top search terms, you can understand the most popular product categories and keywords currently on the Amazon platform, providing insights for your product positioning and promotion.
  • Basket Analysis: This feature allows you to analyze consumer shopping baskets to understand the products they purchase together. This helps you understand if your product bundles are favored by consumers or if they prefer to separately add items from different product pages into their carts.

Conclusion

If you're just starting out or stuck in those early stages of building up then you're going to see a lot of advantages of enrolling for Amazon’s Brand Registry. Amazon will take you more seriously once your brand is registered. You will also have the actual legal backing of that trademark but more than that you will have a lot of benefits and access to a lot of data that other sellers will not. We hope this article really helped push your business forward, if you want to learn more info, go to our website m19.com.

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Xuan Xie
April 10, 2024
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