In an attempt to bring order and transparency to the crowdfunding industry, a website named CrowdsUnite was created in 2012. Crowdfunding encourages investments in small and mid-sized businesses by allowing groups of investors to network and raise money for startup companies. It surfaced after the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act was signed in 2012. However, funding efforts from non-accredited investors pose a threat to the new opportunities for businesses. With over 700 global platforms available, it can be a challenge for an individual to validate trustworthy funding sites.
CrowdsUnite creator, Alex Feldman, has since introduced consumer reviews to help combat this issue. Going on two years their website thrives with a 10% monthly growth rate of unique visitors. In the past year, IntegriShield has also heightened efforts to bring the importance of brand equity to the forefront. The success of CrowdsUnite backs the importance of consumer review sites and exemplifies how such sites can make or break a company.
“Consumer review sites, such as CrowdsUnite, can be a great resource for consumers but more importantly can act as a platform to build a company’s brand equity,” noted Jennifer Flood, IntegriShield’s Managing Director. “One false or inflammatory review can severely damage a company’s brand equity, which is why my team stresses the importance of monitoring review sites for our clients.”
In response to a high-demand for compliance monitoring, IntegriShield launched Infringement Detection alongside a suite of successful compliance monitoring services. Click here to get started learning the best practice for your company to monitor your brand equity or copyrighted and trademarked material.