Welcome back, or – if you’re joining us for the first time – welcome to our weekly series where we help brands navigate the world of MAP compliance more effectively. If you’ve read our weekly content before, you know that MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) policies and their enforcement have many moving parts and – sadly – also a lot of misinformation out there that can make an already difficult task even harder. In the world of MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) monitoring, technology has become both a blessing and a curse. While advanced tools empower brands to create amazing customer experiences, analyze massive data sets quickly, and gain visibility that they’ve never had before, a host of myths and misconceptions surrounding online monitoring has existed for years and done real damage – not only to brands’ confidence but also to the credibility of honest solution providers.
Worse yet, some providers take advantage of the confusion and miseducation in the industry, intentionally weaving these myths into their sales pitches. It’s easy to see why brands fall for it – after all, who wouldn’t want to believe in a nearly unfathomable cutting-edge technology that promises to solve all their MAP challenges? Unfortunately, these promises often lead to disappointment, with brands canceling contracts a year later when reality doesn’t live up to the hype. Even worse, these “untruths” not only prevent brands from conveying realistic expectations to the rest of the organization but leave a bad taste in the mouths of executives who approve sizable expenditures only to find out they’ve been bamboozled.
This week, we’re taking a step back to address the three biggest myths holding back brands’ MAP programs and show how proper upfront education can lead to long, fruitful partnerships with providers who deliver real value. If you’re looking for the TLDR, we’d like to quote Public Enemie’s Flava Flav, possibly the greatest hype man of all time: “Don’t Believe The Hype!“
Myth #1: "We Extract MAP Prices in Real-time"
It’s easy to see why the idea of real-time price extraction is so appealing. Who wouldn’t want to know the exact price of every product across every site, updated every second of every day? It’s all just digital data, right? We get it…it sounds like it should not only be feasible but also fairly easy to do once you know how extraction (aka “scraping”) works. Some providers knowingly promise this capability, capitalizing on the misconception that technology has no limits. Unfortunately, however – and we hate to be the bearers of bad news – this is the first myth potentially damaging your MAP program’s effectiveness.
The Truth with a Real-World Example:
Let’s say your company has 500 SKUs that need to be monitored across 20 websites or marketplaces. At first glance, this doesn’t seem overwhelming but consider this: marketplaces like Amazon or Walmart often have dozens (if not hundreds) of listings for a single SKU, many of which are created by third-party sellers who operate independently of the marketplace itself. This means your monitoring program might have to track 50,000 to 100,000 listings daily just to capture all your products on these sites.
Now let’s look at what happens if we imagine that real-time extraction is possible. If you were to attempt real-time price extraction – pinging (aka visiting) each listing on all 20 sites every second – the output would generate billions of data points per day. For context:
- 50,000 listings x 1 ping/second x 86,400 seconds/day = 4.32 billion pings daily.
- For most providers, each ping would also have to include a screenshot, requiring massive storage and processing power to manage and analyze the data.
Even more problematic, retailer websites would view this level of activity as malicious. Constantly pinging their servers could be interpreted as a Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, a common tactic hackers use to overwhelm and disable websites. Not only would the MAP provider be flagged as a potential hacker, but also blocked, preventing your brand from getting the data it requires to run your business effectively.
Why the Miseducation Hurts: Brands sold on the dream of real-time extraction often feel betrayed when they realize the technology can’t deliver. This leads to canceled contracts and wasted resources, damaging trust in the entire industry. Instead, brands should seek providers who are upfront about what’s possible, focusing on scheduled, accurate updates that deliver actionable insights without overpromising.
Myth #2: "We Can Identify the First-Mover"
Brands that don’t have a MAP monitoring and enforcement partner struggle to enforce their MAP policy due to either limited time, scant resources, or small team size. Whatever the reason may be, these brands can’t (or won’t) address each violation objectively and instead focus on the retailer that started the “race to the bottom” in the first place. Some MAP providers claim they can pinpoint the first retailer to break MAP pricing, using this as a key selling point to impress brands. While it might sound plausible, this claim is misleading and technically flawed. Additionally, this can guide brands toward a dangerous enforcement practice: the selective enforcement of violations (you may be getting close to illegal territory).
The Truth with a Real-World Example:
Imagine you’re monitoring a single SKU across three retailers: Retailer A, Retailer B, and Retailer C. Retailer A’s pricing changes at 9:02 AM, Retailer B’s at 9:03 AM, and Retailer C’s at 9:05 AM. Sounds simple to track, right? Not exactly. Here’s why:
- Latency Issues: Price changes on the backend don’t always display immediately on the front end, leading to discrepancies in the timestamps.
- AI-Driven Pricing Tools: Many retailers use automated tools that adjust prices based on a handful of key competitors’ activities, meaning those retailers are monitored by a variety of resources. Oftentimes, price drops happen in quick succession, with no clear “first-mover.”
- Monitoring Schedules: Most reputable MAP providers monitor sites at set or rotating intervals, not continuously. If Retailer A’s price drop happens at 9:02 AM but isn’t detected until the 9:10 AM scan, it’s impossible to determine if another retailer dropped their price first.
Why the Miseducation Hurts: Chasing the first-mover is a distraction that often leads to frustration. When brands are misled into thinking this level of detail is achievable, they waste time and energy on an impossible goal. Honest providers focus instead on consistent monitoring and enforcement, ensuring brands can execute with fairness and transparency. When retailers call with the objection “…but I was just following the market,” the brands who enforce their policies at the world-class level simply reply with “They are next on my list.” By ensuring that all violators are made aware not only of their own violations but those of their competitors as well, brands can create a culture of trust and transparency with their retailers, making their enforcement easier, overall.
Myth #3: MAP Providers Can Monitor the Entire Internet
The final myth is one of scale and the most commonly spread untruth we encounter when speaking to brands; that providers can monitor every corner of the internet for MAP violations. Some providers perpetuate this idea, presenting their solution as the technological equivalent of the all-seeing eye. In reality, this claim is both wildly impractical and incredibly misleading.
The Truth with a Real-World Example:
The internet is vast and ever-changing. In addition to global giants like Amazon, Walmart, and eBay, there are countless regional platforms (e.g., MercadoLibre in Latin America, JD.com in China), and niche marketplaces. Add to this the rise of social commerce platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping, and the scope becomes unmanageable.
Even the most advanced tech companies in the world, with trillion+ dollar market caps, are not looking at the entire internet. Google, for example, only indexes about 5% of the internet – some 400 billion pages. Because of this, we as providers must work to educate brands such that they prioritize which sites to monitor based on relevance and impact. Unauthorized sellers hiding behind aliases or rotating accounts further complicate comprehensive monitoring efforts, but savvy providers know how to deal with these shadowy resellers and can counsel you accordingly.
Why the Miseducation Hurts: Brands expecting comprehensive internet coverage often feel let down when they realize the limitations of technology. This misalignment can lead to strained relationships and wasted resources. Furthermore, when the “whole internet” story is shared inside a brand’s walls, it sets unrealistic expectations with leadership and key stakeholders. Providers who focus on targeted monitoring, prioritizing key sales channels, deliver better results, and build lasting trust with their clients.
The Importance of Proper Education
Brands that are properly educated upfront can avoid the pitfalls of these myths. By partnering with providers who value integrity, transparency, and setting realistic expectations, brands are more likely to secure long, fruitful partnerships that add value to their organization and keep valued retailers happy to abide by policy guidelines.
When providers focus on honesty – admitting limitations while emphasizing strengths – they empower brands to make informed decisions. This approach doesn’t just protect the provider’s reputation; it helps brands build confidence in their MAP strategy, knowing they’re working with a trusted partner.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, we haven’t rained on your parade too much today. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but dispelling these myths is critical to strengthening the credibility of the MAP monitoring industry and ensuring brands achieve real, measurable results. At Pervasive Mind, we pride ourselves on authentic transparency, providing brands with the tools and insights needed to enforce MAP policies effectively – without overpromising or underdelivering.
If you’ve been sold on promises that didn’t pan out, we’re sorry you experienced that. When you’re ready to get back out there, let’s start a conversation about how we can set you up for realistic success in the long term.
