Episode 239: Protecting Your Brand in 2025 – SMS Compliance, Copycat Stores & Strategic Defense

Ep. 239: Protecting Your Brand in 2025 – SMS Compliance, Copycat Stores & Strategic Defense Episode Description What happens when a new law could cost you $10K… or worse, someone clones your website and starts stealing your customers? In this exclusive Mentor Table session, John Grimshaw and Molly Pittman tackle two major challenges facing DTC brands in 2025: new SMS compliance laws in Texas and a real-world case study of how Antler Rings shut down a full-blown copycat website. This episode gives you practical tools, mindset shifts, and proactive strategies to protect your brand—and your bottom line. "We're going to have to play more defense in general. It's just easier for people to shortcut this stuff." – John Grimshaw You Will Learn: What the Texas SMS law means for marketers How to register for compliance and avoid fines What to do when someone copies your website, product, or brand The legal and technical steps Antler Rings used to shut down a scammer Why branded keyword bidding is non-negotiable in 2025 How to use alerts and paid search to monitor your brand Links & Resources Mentioned: Omnisend SMS & Email Tool – Get 50% Off Smart Marketer Mentor Table Mastermind Antler Rings Molly Pittman – mollypittman.com Instagram – @smartmarketer Instagram – @mollypittmandigital Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome: Mentor Table Exclusive + Omnisend SMS Promo 02:18 – Texas SMS Compliance: What's Changed & What To Do 04:39 – Bond Costs, Registration Forms, and Legal Risk 07:55 – Should You Exclude Texas Prospects? A Cost-Benefit Breakdown 10:17 – Case Study: Antler Rings Discovers a Fake Store 11:43 – Steps to Take: Domain Hosts, Payment Processors, Google & More 13:57 – Boom by Cindy Joseph Faced This Too—What They Learned 16:39 – Copycat Site Takedown Success: Fast Results 18:17 – Bid on Your Branded Keywords—Here's Why 20:31 – Set Up Alerts to Monitor Brand Mentions Automatically 21:22 – Playing Defense in 2025: AI, Fraud & Scam Prevention 21:52 – Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up Your Engagement Matters! Thanks for listening! If this episode helped you, we'd love your support: ⭐️ Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts 🔁 Share this episode with a friend or tag @smartmarketer on social 📥 Questions or feedback? Email us: [email protected] Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit! 🚀