Brands may now have to work harder when designing the printed labels to add to their products, as counterfeiting is increasingly becoming a problem.

Nick Dormon from Echo Brand Design told Marketing Week that the digital age has brought with it more ways for fraudsters to copy packaging and even entire retail footprints.

JKR chairman Andrew Knowles agreed, but pointed out that there are ways to make it harder for them.

"The only solution to counteract counterfeiters is to try and design something that disregards visual cliches and has a degree of individuality," he remarked.

Richard Seymour, a designer who co-founded Seymourpowell, explained this presents challenges for companies, particularly at a time when packaging is being reduced in size and there is less space to express unique designs.

However, he urged brands to see it as a way to get more creative.

Earlier this month, dozens of bottles of counterfeit Jacob's Creek wine were seized in Bournemouth after Trading Standards noticed a spelling error on the peelable labels.

Bespoke printed labels such as holograms or scratch-off panels could be useful tools in the fight against fraud.

Denny Bros Ltd, 22 September 2011