The necessity for security labels grows as counterfeit products and fraudulent activities from theft to tampering increase at an alarming rate. The use of security labels may seem like a passive and minor tool in your arsenal, but consider that one of the leading and primary manufacturer of security labels report that with their intaglio printed labels, a process in which the pattern is printed from recessed areas of a plate, customers have reduced counterfeits and diversions from 20 percent to ZERO. In another instance with tamper void labels they reduced return fraud by 500 percent.
In general, there are three main categories of security labels.
- Asset Labels
These labels are used to catalog, track and put your mark on your most valuable assets as your property. Hospitals, universities, and other facilities with expensive equipment often use them. These labels sometimes bear sequential numbers, giving each item its own identity that you can track. There are also ultra-adhesive versions that are near impossible to remove and when they are removed, a “void” or “property of” imprint is left behind, significantly decreasing the item’s value for would-be thieves.
- Tamper Evident Labels
Extremely important in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, tamper evident labels form a protective closure that ensures the product is not contaminated, and they are a quick visual alert to tampering attempts. “Void if open” type labels fall under this category as well.
- Authentication Labels
Authentication labels are used to mark a product as genuine. Sometimes holographic images are used, similar to those used on consumer technology merchandise. Counterfeit versions rarely take the time or the expense to use authentication labels, or if they do, it is readily apparent that the label is a fake.
Protect Your Business and Your Brand with Security Labels
Physical security measures like security labels are an immediate visual deterrent and they can be remarkably useful for tracking your assets throughout the supply chain. You may not even realize the many ways your operations could benefit from this simple solution; however, you are a prime candidate for security labels if your company has any of the following needs:
- You Need Tamper Resistance. If you need to protect the safety or purity of your products and protect the public then tamper resistance labels are perfect your business.
- You Need to Authenticate Your Product. Manufacturing a product that is easily counterfeited puts you at risk of losing revenue and applying a seal of authentication is a strategy that works to minimize counterfeiting. With the rise of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, security labels can be a part of a solution that enables you to receive a “valid” or “non-valid” response when they pass near a mobile computer or scanner.
- You Need Warranty Protection. Businesses that handle warranty claims have the added headaches of fraudulent claims and returns. Using a security label to indicate warranty voids is a tremendous strategy for recognizing fraud attempts.
- You Need to Track Assets. Built-in tracker capabilities and sequential coding make tracking individual items, packages or even full pallets as simple as accessing a web portal with security labels.
The need to protect your brand, your reputation, and your customers is paramount. Choose effective, fool-proof security labels as a line of defense against potential theft or fraud that can have far-reaching negative impacts on your business.
