Page 42 - Print21 November-December 2022

Reid Fruits cutting
counterfeits with Laava
Smart Fingerprint
Tasmanian cherry grower Reid Fruits has seen a dramatic reduction in product counterfeiting over the past three export seasons to Asia, as a result of a Smart Fingerprint solution developed by brand authentication Ttechnologist Laava, in collaboration with label printer Peacock Bros.
he Laava Smart Fingerprint cherry box featuring a counterfeited for its labels has provided Laava Smart Fingerprint is scanned Reid Fruits with a secure by the consumer, a ‘Suspected on-product gateway for Counterfeit’ message will be
brand protection and displayed on the consumer’s consumer engagement. Smartphone screen, alerting them
onto 400,000 Reid Fruits cherry boxes, bound for 20 global markets. A significant number of those boxes were sent to China, one of the company’s largest export markets, and also the destination where the Australian business has historically encountered significant counterfeit challenges.
“This is a product that goes from a tree to fridge in three days and commands a premium of $200 for two kilos,” said Laava’s Ger.
Authenticity
“People are paying for a lot behind that brand that signifies quality, freshness, and authenticity. If you are buying a $200 box of cherries you want to be sure of a lot of things, and we are finding in many cases people also want to know the backstory to the product.”
When consumers scan a Smart Fingerprint, they not only get
a guarantee of the product’s authenticity, but the digital platform also provides engaging content. Reid Fruits can educate buyers on the product they have purchased, as well as providing the ability to serve up special offers and social media integration.
“Reid Fruits brand is a leader in the premium cherry market in Asia, and is now leveraging Laava’s combination of brand trust, product traceability and digital storytelling capabilities,” said Ger.
“All of this was enabled cost effectively and with incredibly high quality by Peacock Bros. digital label printing capabilities – and critically – was easy for Reid Fruits seasonal staff to apply to their existing cartons, with no changes to operational processes, and no new technology.” 21
“Counterfeiting is a massive issue for us, as well as for countless other Australian fresh fruit producers,” said Tim Reid, managing director, Reid Fruits.
“The Smart Fingerprint technology offers a level of secure authentication that will make it extremely difficult for counterfeiters to replicate.”
Reid Fruits has been applying Laava’s patented Smart Fingerprint technology on its cherry boxes for export markets for the past two years.
As a result the company went from experiencing potentially thousands of counterfeits per season, to having 10 cases automatically stopped by the Laava platform in 2019-20, and only three in 2020-21.
“The fact that Reid Fruits has experienced such a dramatic decline in product counterfeiting activity demonstrates the direct benefit of the Smart Fingerprint technology,” said Gavin Ger, Laava’s CEO.
“Not only does this identify instances of fraudulent activity, but counterfeiters soon realise that their actions will not go unnoticed if they try to copy Reid Fruits packaging
to leverage their strong market reputation with a substituted and inferior product.”
Laava Smart Fingerprints are printed by Peacock Bros. using
digital label printing and finishing technologies. The Smart Fingerprints use images that are uniquely generated to each individual product, and use proprietary optical scanning technology, which Laava says makes them more secure than a QR code.
When a counterfeit Reid Fruits
42 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
to the product not being authentic, along with support information from Reid Fruits.
“Peacock Bros. is excited to be supporting Laava in disrupting the business model of counterfeiters with an innovative solution that combines advanced digital printing technologies,” said Ryan McGrath, group managing director at Peacock Bros.
“With consumers and brand
owners across the Asia-Pacific region becoming increasingly concerned about authenticity, solutions that validate products and limit counterfeit goods in the supply chain will enhance buyer confidence and help protect brand reputation and integrity.
“Securing products at item level provides us with the framework for implementing emerging technologies such as connected packaging solutions that provide advancements in consumer engagement (through AR), product track and trace capabilities, and sustainability improvements within the supply chain.”
In the 2021-22 season, Smart Fingerprints were incorporated
Brand protection: Smart labels