Many brand owners are now looking to incorporate
security into their products, be it for protection against counterfeiting,
alteration or diversion of those products.
When considering the introduction of a security
feature to a product, the normal first thought is "What new feature
can I add?" and those thoughts normally turn to things perceived
as new and exciting.
Yet, virtually all products carry something
that is the ideal basis for the provision of security, some form of
either an ink, a varnish or a coating - so why are these not given more
consideration as carriers of product security capability?
There are many reasons for this, many of them
promulgated by companies seeing the business of product security or
brand protection as being one in which there is easy money to be made,
and wishing to bring so-called high-tech offerings to the market.
In truth the business of providing security
for products is not greatly different than that of providing security
to documents, and therefore those companies involved in the provision
of document security are natural first contenders in the business.
Companies involved in document security understand
the concepts involved in the business of counterfeiting and forgery,
understand the mentalities involved, understand that this is a business
in which there is a long term commitment and also, and very importantly,
understand the demanding standards required of them for security and
integrity.
Such companies, like ICMA member SICPA Securinks,
have a long history of integrity and credibility in the supply of security
inks, varnishes and coatings and in providing products specifically
tailored to needs, both in terms of security and production operations.
As mentioned previously, most products bear
some form of ink varnish or coating, be it on a clothing tag, the metal
decal on a high quality leather handbag, even the coating of a CD. Thus,
security features can be incorporated within these inks, varnishes or
coatings already used in manufacturing the product or as other integral
elements of product parts, e.g. molded into plastics or other materials.
As a result these open up the possibilities for the inclusion of security
features with minimal impact on the existing design and manufacturing
processes of the products.
In seeking to incorporate security into an existing
ink, it is very important to choose the right security provider as a
partner - and a partnership is necessary since this is the most advantageous
form of relationship when considering the development of a secure security
strategy.
Such a partner must have the capability to develop
and provide solutions appropriate to the problems being experienced,
the method of production of the product, the security in place within
those production operations, and the monitoring needs of the brand owner.
It is of course preferred if the security provider has the experience
and capability to be able to advise on monitoring methods, audit procedures,
communication and handling of audit information, or even to handle these
processes on behalf of the client.
When considering introducing security to a product
the points of prime importance to the brand owners are:
- Is it effective?
- Is the supply of the securityfeature secure?
- How much does its use impact existing production
methodology?
- How much does its use impact existing product
design?
- If using an overt, public, feature, how easy
is it for the public to check?
- If using a covert feature, how easy is the
detection of the feature?
In considering the above factors, there are
common threads that can simplify the brand owners' selection of a feature,
and ultimately a security partner.
Clearly, adding something - for instance a hologram
- impacts design, production and possibly capital expenditure. On the
other hand, there must be great care in the selection of any feature
which has become a mass produced product, used in not only the security
industry but also as a decorative or promotional product.
What is important is to seek to minimize the
impact on design and production. Clearly if the feature required is
overt, then there is going to be some impact, but this can be mitigated
by careful and appropriate selection of an existing feature on the product
to be changed.
While with covert features, by looking at the
possibilities within inks, varnishes and coatings, the changes involved
in the production process and in the product design can be so minimal
as to be inconsequential. In fact they can be so minimal that the production
operation need not even know that changes have been made, something
that can be of enormous advantage to the brand owner.
In building its business, SICPA has always sought
to provide products that can be incorporated into existing operations
and design with minimal difficulty and minimal change and that are tailored
to specific production and security needs. For instance it is rare for
any two production sites to need exactly the same product: there are
differences in machine settings, environmental conditions, substrates,
etc. that need to be catered to.
Clearly, there are a number of factors that
have to be taken into account when considering the introduction of security
to an existing ink, varnish or coating. Among these are the application
method and the purpose of the coating or varnish.
There is little point in introducing security
to a coating designed to prevent a product being scratched, if the security
agent weakens the strength of the coating. Careful selection of materials,
in line with function, is vital. Equally, the materials chosen must
in themselves be secure, or the security of the end result is compromised.
Through the development and production cycle,
it is important that regular quality control checks monitor the performance
and characteristics of the product - each batch of product manufactured
and delivered must meet the defined performance specifications, and
each batch must perform in the production operation to the defined standards.
As mentioned already, the different idiosyncrasies
of the production operations need to be catered to. This should be done
in two ways: through the development and production of the ink, varnish
or coating; and also through the provision of suitable advice and information
to the production operation to ensure smooth implementation of the product.
While there is always a desire to look for things
perceived to be new and innovative, it is also important to remember
that what is proven has value, what exists can be used with innovation
and that no one element can provide total security.
What is truly important is to find a security solution
partner who can bring security to what exists, for instance to inks,
varnishes and coatings - who can bring new security features and implement
them with innovation to provide the greatest level of security, with
the minimum impact on cost, production operations and product - and
who at the same time, can return the maximum protection of the brand
equity invested in the product.