Case Study | How Leading Edge protects global customers from health risks
About Leading Edge Health
For the last few years, Canadian company Leading Edge Health has provided global customers with an innovative range of natural health products that help with sexual enhancement, skincare, and anti-aging.
The firm’s biggest seller is VigRX Plus®, a herbal male libido supplement that provides a non-pharmaceutical alternative to products like Viagra.
The threat to consumers
The big issue for Leading Edge is counterfeit versions of VigRX Plus that pose a risk to public health. These counterfeit products are often made by wholesale manufacturers in China that use pharmaceutical ingredients like sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient in Viagra.
Such ingredients can cause serious harm if they are consumed by patients with high blood pressure. Counterfeit versions of VigRX Plus have also been found to contain building materials like drywall powder.
The impact on business
“Customs seizures of counterfeits can lead to government health agencies posting misleading warnings about VigRX Plus.”
Doug Mackay, Managing Director, Leading Edge Health
These warnings often appear at the top of online search listings. In some instances, the health agencies have failed to mention that they are warning against counterfeit products, not genuine products. This has a huge negative impact – not just on our business and brand, but also on the consumers that are wrongly being deterred from a natural product that could be a real help to them.
Leading Edge’s primary concern is protecting its consumers from harm. It also wants to protect its reputation and revenue. Batches of counterfeit VigRX Plus are frequently seized at borders by customs officials – causing major issues with negative publicity.
Brand protection key to fixing the problem
Over the last few years, Leading Edge’s fraud department has been using Incopro’s brand protection technology to identify counterfeit listings in key markets and tag them for enforcement. Our analysts then carry out enforcement to drive compliance. Overall, collaborating in this way has reduced the number of high-risk listings across all global markets by 74%.
“We’ve now almost eliminated counterfeit listings in our key North American market. We’re also clamping down on other markets like Ukraine, where Incopro has helped us to identify where counterfeit sales are rife.”
Doug Mackay, Managing Director, Leading Edge Health
As a result, the market that wholesale counterfeit manufacturers can supply to has been continually restricted. This means border seizures and government health warnings have reduced too.
Creating commercial opportunities – new sales in China
“China was a big threat to us because of the sheer scale of the counterfeit manufacturing operations there. By working with Incopro, we’ve been able to turn that threat into a new commercial opportunity.”
Doug Mackay, Managing Director, Leading Edge Health
Leading Edge has also used Talisman to target counterfeit wholesale manufacturers of VigRX Plus in China. Our enforcement work has been so successful here that Leading Edge has capitalized by officially launching VigRX Plus in China for the first time. Since the launch, Leading Edge has grown sales in China from zero to around one million US dollars in sales annually.
A big boost for efficiency
“With Incopro we are able to extensively scrape websites, marketplaces and social networks far deeper than can be done manually. We can now locate counterfeit products we did not even know existed.”
Doug Mackay, Managing Director, Leading Edge Health
Since working with Incopro, Leading Edge has also dramatically increased the efficiency of its fraud detection team and made better use of its resources.
“Talisman has enabled us to fight back and achieve the removal of a high number of illegal websites and counterfeit products. Violators can also be dealt with in an instant using the user-friendly reporting system. I recommend this product for every internet company.”Doug Mackay, Managing Director, Leading Edge Health
Partner with a company that cares about your consumers
At Incopro we don’t just protect your brand reputation and revenue – we protect the health and safety of your customers too.
If you would like to learn how we help brands like Leading Edge Health clear up online channels and protect consumers, talk to an expert today.
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