Poised for Growth

The market is there

Pira International recently released, "The Future of Anti-Counterfeiting, Brand Protection and Security Packaging V," which breaks down the market by technologies, end-use segment, and geographic markets with five-year forecasts to 2014. Buoyed by innovations in RFID, security printing, and 2D bar code technology, Pira predicts the global market for brand protection to reach a value of more than $11.4 billion by 2014, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1 percent. Impressive growth, but the market still has not fully matured. "In terms of its product/market life cycle, I would suggest that the brand security/protection market is still in its infancy or introduction phase," says Corey Reardon, president and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Associates B.V. "Unfortunately, it will take either a directive from government to impose brand security/protection more broadly causing a tipping point, or a catastrophic event that either threatens public health or safety, or affects it." If the latter occurs, Reardon asserts that it may be too late, depending on the scope and seriousness of the event. "But, it will cause a tipping point, driving growth and implementation of brand security/protection across a wider spectrum," he says.