Amazon Brand Registration: The Brand Registry Explained – Including Step-by-Step Guide
Through Amazon Brand Registration, also known as Brand Registry, sellers can officially register their brands with Amazon. This has various advantages that marketplace sellers should not miss out on. According to the e-commerce giant, millions of fraudulent listings have already been blocked through brand registration. Registered companies reported an average of 99% fewer suspected violations.
This has advantages for both customers and the trading platform itself. But sellers also benefit from the Brand Registry on Amazon. Of course, sellers can sell on the online marketplace without this protection and without the opportunities it offers. However, they take on a certain risk and miss out on many advertising opportunities that are currently only or mainly accessible to registered brand owners under the Amazon Brand Registration. We clarify why the Brand Registry is so important, what benefits you can expect, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to successfully register your brand.
The Benefits of Amazon Brand Registration
#1 Customize the product page and maintain your brand image.
It is your brand, and you should have control over your product pages and brand image. When you register your brand with Amazon, you can not only customize the detail pages of your products but also manage them. It is entirely up to you as the brand owner how you want to present your brand to the outside world.
The Amazon Brand Registry also brings additional benefits: third parties can no longer change or modify your product pages. This gives you full control and ensures that the product page represents your company’s interests and showcases the product optimally.
When you register your brand, Amazon also allows you to use various media such as videos on your product page. You can use these options optimally for branding and describe and present the product even better. This, by the way, also easily increases your conversion rate.
#2 Protect Your Product Listings from Fraud and Hijacking
Protect your listings by using Amazon Brand Registration instead of later dealing with tedious communication with Seller Support to resolve a hijacking case. Intellectual property violations (e.g., counterfeits) can be more easily identified and pursued. This prevents competitors and fraudsters from hijacking or sabotaging your listings by, for example, deliberately altering the content.
To protect registered brands, the online giant has launched “Project Zero.” This means for you: the more data you provide as part of Amazon Brand Registration, the smarter the algorithm will become. The team at the e-commerce giant is constantly working on improvements and thus on the automatic detection of:
Good to know: Through the Amazon Brand Registry IP Accelerator, you have the opportunity to contact expert legal and patent law firms even before the official brand registration.
By the way: Registered Amazon brands can participate in the Transparency Program. This verifies the authenticity of branded products using individual codes, which provides additional protection against counterfeits.
#3 Boost Your Sales
When you register your brand with Amazon, it will also impact your sales figures. Those who have been victims of fake listings can attest to how long-term this damage can affect performance. Customer trust is lost, and it takes time to rebuild it.
Protecting your brand from such attacks and the many advertising opportunities provided to you under the Amazon Brand Registry have a long-term positive impact on your sales figures.
#4 Get Free Access to Helpful Amazon Tools
If you want to increase your sales figures, you need to have precise insights into customer behavior. However, it is not that easy to access this data. Fortunately, sellers who have registered with the Amazon Brand Registry in Germany can access extensive data on the search and purchasing behavior of Amazon customers as part of the “Brand Analytics.” For example, you can use the search terms that customers use for your Amazon PPC campaigns.
Versatile analytics features help you manage your brand and assess its performance as part of the Amazon Brand Registry. Additionally, you can use this software to quickly find out if someone is misusing your brand:
#5 Take Advantage of Additional Advertising Opportunities on Amazon
Sellers who register their brand with Amazon also receive some advertising opportunities that are not available to others. Not only can you prominently place your brand above the organic search results through Sponsored Brands, but you can also set up your own small area in the Amazon universe: the Amazon Brand Store. Additionally, you can create better product pages as you can now use A+ Content.
If you want to learn more about Amazon Advertising, feel free to check out our blog post on the topic: How to Highlight Your Products.
#6 Get More Reviews
When you want to promote a new listing, one of the most challenging tasks is generating customer reviews. The good news is that when you register your brand in the Amazon Brand Registry, you gain access to Amazon Vine.
This service allows you to send your products to verified customers who will test and review them. But beware! Keep in mind that these reviews can be brutally honest and may not only highlight the positive aspects of your product. Here you can find more tips on how to collect reviews – and what you should avoid: 6 Ultimate Tips for More Reviews.
Step by Step: How to Register Your Brand in the Amazon Brand Registry
The best part upfront: There are no costs to register your Amazon brand. The tool is an absolute must for marketplace sellers: you enjoy many benefits without having to pay anything.
Step 1: Check the Requirements of the Amazon Brand Registry
The online giant will, of course, check whether you meet the criteria to register your Amazon brand:
Step 2: Log in to the Amazon Brand Registry
If you meet the above criteria, you can log in to the Amazon Brand Registry via this link. You will need your Seller Central or Vendor Central access for this. Have this information ready:
Step 3: Register Your Business in the Amazon Brand Registry
Click on “Register a New Brand” and follow the process while entering the necessary information. The more details you provide, the better the tool can protect your brand later.
After submitting this data, the e-commerce giant will verify whether you are the rights holder of the specified brand. Subsequently, a verification code will be sent to the designated contact person of the brand as part of the Amazon Brand Registry. This must then be sent back to Amazon to complete the registration.
Who is allowed to use a protected trademark?
Only brand owners can register their brand in the trademark register and register it as a brand with Amazon. However, additional users and licensees can be added both during the registration process and after the Amazon Brand Registry. They need their own brand registration account, which can be set up with their existing Seller or Vendor Central. Trademark rights holders can add additional users by contacting brand registration support.
Costs of Amazon Brand Registration:
It is completely free to register your brand with Amazon. However, the trademark application with the DPMA (German Patent and Trademark Office) costs about €300. This includes three classes of goods and services. Each additional class costs an extra €100.
If you want to sell your product in additional EU countries, you must register it with the EUIPO. The basic fee is €850 and includes only one class.
Do I have to use the Amazon Brand Registry to sell on Amazon?
No, you can certainly sell on Amazon without brand registration. However, the experience of many sellers shows that this is risky. This is because you also lose the protection of your brand by the online giant. As a result, your branded products can be more easily counterfeited and sold, or your product page can be hacked by your competitors.
Conclusion
Is Amazon Brand Registration worth it? The biggest advantage is brand protection. After all, it is extremely important that you maintain control over your brand. Properly showcasing and presenting your brand is essential and shapes your brand image.
But the additional advertising content that is unlocked for brand owners is also of great importance. This is because it increases conversion rates, traffic, and sales.
And last but not least: the ability to identify suspected infringements against your brand (e.g., counterfeits) is extremely important. With the established search functions, you can quickly locate potentially counterfeit listings and products and take action against them.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Amazon Brand Registry is an Amazon-owned trademark register where online sellers can register their brand, particularly to protect themselves against legal infringements such as counterfeits.
Typically, the process is completed within two weeks. The status can be checked at any time in the Brand Registry through the case log.
The brand registration with Amazon is free for sellers. Only the registration with the German Patent and Trademark Office costs about €300. At the EUIPO, the European equivalent, it costs around €850.
The following product groups cannot be registered in the Amazon Brand Registry:
– Music
– Books
– Videos
– Other media carriers
– Collectibles
The registration of a trademark in the trademark registry is available to all Amazon sellers free of charge.
Image credits in the order of the images: ©Visual Generation – stock.adobe.com / ©Visual Generation – stock.adobe.com
