How dangerous are counterfeit products? In the case of counterfeit water filters, the answer is “very dangerous” if they fail to meet established standards. To combat this threat to consumer safety, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers developed a data-based campaign, “Filter It Out,” to raise public awareness and garner government support to combat substandard products. In doing so, AHAM connected with a new audience and generated attention for the quality of their members’ products.

The Problem With Counterfeits

Counterfeit products are a widespread intellectual property concern for manufacturers, potentially costing them billions each year. In fiscal year 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement–Homeland Security Investigation seized 27,599 shipments containing counterfeit goods that violated intellectual property rights, equal to more than $1.5 billion in retail sales for genuine goods. But many products bypass detection, and, as most purchases are made online, consumers may not realize they are getting a counterfeit product.

The greater danger for the public is that counterfeits elude standards enforcement. AHAM staff suspected that counterfeit filters were not as effective as their members’ products, which must be certified as meeting American standards for drinking-water systems, but they needed evidence. AHAM engaged independent laboratories to conduct three tests of more than 100 counterfeit water filters. All of the counterfeit filters failed to meet U.S. safety standards, including standards for lead filtering. In fact, the testing produced indications that counterfeit filters could taint clean water after exposure to contaminated water.

Raising Awareness

Armed with this evidence, AHAM developed the “Filter It Out” initiative to spur national action. Staff developed a report designed to serve as an advocacy tool, which highlighted the rigor of their research and outlined test results and public safety concerns in numerous charts and graphs.

But while government advocacy was familiar territory for the AHAM team, they also sought to connect with a new audience: consumers. AHAM developed a website, filteritout.org, to speak directly to consumers via videos and interactive elements, such as a consumer quiz. The site was supported by a paid social media campaign that generated millions of impressions and 21,000 clicks. The initiative also received coverage from Real Simple, Yahoo! News, and syndicated TV outlets.

New Connections

The battle against counterfeit products is ongoing, but the “Filter It Out” initiative provided AHAM with some valuable lessons and new directions.

Chief among the lessons was the value of research for promoting their message. The data gathered through testing fortified their advocacy efforts. As Jill Notini, AHAM’s vice president, communications and marketing, noted in a case study interview, “We needed to have the evidence and research from credible, third-party bodies in order to … make a really strong case to the government agencies in our advocacy efforts that this is truly a problem.”

The data also helped AHAM catch the public’s attention. While AHAM initially used storytelling tactics to highlight the dangers of counterfeit filters, the data generated significantly more consumer interest. While AHAM had not previously considered consumers an audience, the traction gained though the “Filter It Out” initiative is encouraging AHAM to consider opportunities for external outreach in the future.