The MAPCOP Blog
Protect your brand online.
Insights on MAP policies and how MAPCOP can help.
Killing the Myths of the Discounting Strategy
February 6, 2024
In addition to encouraging consumers to wait for the next lower price, discounting has a very real and long-term effect on a brand's perceived value.
Final Holiday Push Puts Manufacturing Pricing Under Santa Siege
December 14, 2023
Discover how intense holiday discounting by online retailers challenges manufacturers' pricing strategies and brand value.
Manufacturers Get a Fright Post-Halloween
October 26, 2023
With nearly 60% of consumers doing their holiday shopping online this year, there are several reasons why the holidays turn into open season on pricing across e-tailers.
Manufacturing Week Highlights B to Z
October 11, 2023
In order to attract Gen Z to their teams, industrial companies are revamping their work culture and job design tactics.
Navigating the Complex Landscape of Supply Chain Channel Conflict
August 29, 2023
Can't we all just get along? For manufacturers, that age-old question often bubbles up due to supply chain channel conflict.
Don't Let Service Drive Your Customers Away
July 5, 2023
Why is good customer service so hard to get right?
Pricing Speaks Volumes... What Is Yours Saying About Your Brand?
June 5, 2023
You can make the best products around and offer impeccable service, but if your brand is perceived as inferior, the market will often adopt it as reality.
Why Your Minimum Advertised Pricing Policy May Be Leading Resellers Astray
May 2, 2023
A MAP policy that lacks direction can lead resellers astray when it comes to compliance.
Don't Get Fed Delayed Data: Get Real with Price Monitoring
March 16, 2023
In today's fast-paced world, there is no shortage of "the numbers."
Manufacturers Brace for the Pains of an Uncertain Economy — Are You Prepared?
February 2, 2023
At the start of 2023, we find ourselves still struggling to answer an important question about the U.S. economy, "will there or won't there be a recession?"
Ring In the New Year With an Important Resolution
January 6, 2023
For retailers, a new year manifests itself in clearance sales, deep discounts, and inventory reduction.
Manufacturers of Pet Products Face a Dog-Eat-Dog World in E-commerce Sales
December 15, 2022
By the end of this year, pet food and treat sales in the U.S. are expected to grow to over $45 billion!
Cyber Monday Promises Big Deals (and a Wave of MAP Violations)
November 22, 2022
Prices sink lower and lower during the holiday season, making it a critical time for manufacturers to crack down on MAP policy violations.
Retail Season Kicks Off With New Challenges for Consumers This Year
October 25, 2022
Believe it or not, holiday shopping is expected to see modest growth in 2022.
Take Your MAP Violations Seriously or Pay the Price
September 27, 2022
You have the right to remain silent...but you shouldn't. Not when it comes to MAP violations.
Don't Let a Quick Buck Beat Up Your Brand
August 26, 2022
The just-released figures on e-commerce in the United States continue to show the popularity of online shopping.
Why MAP Enforcement Is Practical for Retailers in 2022
July 11, 2022
Maintaining optimized operations for retailers continues to get more difficult.
Robust Brand Protection Strategy and Avoiding Third-Shift Manufacturing
June 14, 2022
Monitoring retailers has become an important aspect of a standard brand protection strategy.
How Brands Can Help Retailers Compete Against Amazon
July 21, 2017
Amazon can offer low prices and tiny margins that most retailers just can't match. Here's how.
The Epic Price War Between Amazon and Walmart
May 24, 2017
Just how dangerous can price wars be? An ongoing clash between retail titans provides some answers.
Why Amazon Should Enforce MAP
April 26, 2017
Since its founding in 1994, there is one important change that Amazon has so far resisted.
Why MAP Isn't Considered Price Fixing
March 29, 2017
Just how dangerous can price wars be? An ongoing clash between retail titans provides some answers.
Protecting Your Brand Against Amazon
March 16, 2017
Selling your products on Amazon can win a lot of exposure for your brand, but for many companies the associated costs just aren't worth it.
Why Retailers Really Care About MAP Enforcement
March 8, 2017
A lot of retailers claim to have a MAP policy, but a weakly enforced policy is ineffective at best and may actually be a liability at worst.
What To Do About Counterfeit and Unauthorized Items on Amazon
March 1, 2017
Amazon's lax policies on resales make it a haven for counterfeiters and unauthorized sellers, as well as a headache for manufacturers.
The Best Ways To Effectively Enforce Your MAP
February 22, 2017
No matter how watertight your MAP policy is, it will not protect your brand effectively if it is poorly enforced.
Why You Should Be Using the Amazon Brand Registry
February 15, 2017
The sheer size of Amazon makes it almost inevitable that your products will end up available there, whether offered by you, authorized retail partners, or unauthorized resellers.
Why Relying on Retailers To Enforce Pricing Policies Is a Bad Idea
February 8, 2017
Just how dangerous can price wars be? An ongoing clash between two retail titans provides some answers.
Mistakes To Avoid When Creating Your MAP Policy
January 31, 2017
MAP policies are far from foolproof, and manufacturers adopting them often make costly and dangerous mistakes.
The Benefits of Brand Equity
January 25, 2017
Because Amazon is able to eliminate several layers of the supply chain and enjoy lower costs, it can offer low prices and tiny margins that most retailers just can't match.
What Pricing Power Means for Your Brand
January 17, 2017
Your business needs to develop pricing power: the ability to charge more than your competitors without losing customers.
Cutting Off Your Supply Chain To Control Pricing
January 10, 2017
Building a reputation as a high-quality, premium brand is a slow process, but destroying that same reputation is an extremely quick one.
The Impact of Discounts on Brand Equity
January 4, 2017
Reducing the price of a popular item is a great way to bring in more customers, and it can be done extremely easily.
Brand Protection and Big-Name Stores
December 27, 2016
Luxury labels rely on high prices to maintain an exclusive image. If they become known as sale brands, that image can be irreparably damaged.
MAP Enforcement and the FTC
December 20, 2016
Price fixing has been illegal under federal law in the United States since the 19th century, and antitrust cases brought against companies have resulted in heavy fines and even enforced breakups.
Anonymity and the Amazon Marketplace
December 13, 2016
Unfortunately, rogue retailers aren't always easy to catch. MAPCOP is here to help.
Beware of Third-Shift Manufacturing
December 5, 2016
Problematic retailers are not the only threat to your agreed pricing structures.
Stop the Low-Price Domino Effect With a MAP Policy
November 29, 2016
Enforcing a MAP policy can protect your brand's image while also encouraging good value-added resellers to stock your product.
The Importance of Monitoring Your MAP Policy
November 16, 2016
Are your products being sold under MAP and potentially damaging your brand?
MAP enforcement can be challenging, especially when it comes time to contact a violator with proof. That's not the case with MAPCOP. When a reseller is found violating your MAP policy, a real-time screenshot is captured and can be passed on within one of our built-in, fully customizable notification templates. Our system watches retailers across the internet day and night, freeing you up to focus on other areas of your brand.