Husch Blackwell’s Caroline Chicoine is the current Vice Chair of the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) Impact Studies committee. Recently, she helped the committee finish the term strong with two important studies regarding Generation Z and the economic impact of trademark-intensive industries in Latin America.

Do Gen Zers make up a big part of your customer base? Gen Zers will make up the largest group of consumers worldwide by 2020. These consumers were born between 1995 and 2010 and are currently between 18 and 23 years of age. If you find your customer base consists of Gen Zers, the International Trademark Association’s Impact Studies committee’s recent study, titled “Gen Z Insights: Brands and Counterfeit Products” is a must-read. The multi-country study investigates the behavior of Gen Zers when it comes to their relationship with brands and attitudes toward counterfeit products. A copy of the Comprehensive Global Report covering ten (10) countries around the world, as well as reports for each country can be found here. For a comprehensive global infographic summarizing the results of the study, see here.

Ms. Chicoine specifically notes one of the key findings of the Gen Z study; namely that Gen Zers view brand creators or their employees as the most credible source to learn about counterfeit products. So, if you are not already investing in anticounterfeiting educational programs to educate your young consumers on the dangers and social unacceptability of counterfeit products and the value of trademark and brands, now is the time. Need help putting together materials? INTA’s Unreal Campaign website is a good place to start.

Ms. Chicoine is also excited to finish the Impact Studies committee term this fall with the completion of a study on the economic impact of trademark-intensive industries in 10 countries in Latin America. The committee produced an earlier report in 2017, titled “Trademarks in Latin America: A study of their economic impact in five countries in the region (Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Peru).” A comparative infographic summarizing this study can be found here. The newer study will not only update the data for these earlier five countries, but will also study five additional countries in the region (Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic). Expect the final report to be published later this fall!