Core Viewpoint - The phenomenon of online price chaos, while seemingly beneficial for consumers, poses significant risks to brands, agents, and the overall market ecosystem, necessitating effective price control methods to mitigate these issues [1]. Group 1: Impact on Brand and Consumer Trust - Price chaos directly undermines brand reputation and consumer trust, as inconsistent pricing leads to doubts about product authenticity [3]. - A beauty brand experienced a threefold increase in negative reviews due to price discrepancies caused by unauthorized sellers, resulting in a loss of consumer trust [3]. - The confusion surrounding pricing can dilute a brand's mid-to-high-end positioning, transforming quality products into "cheap goods" and eroding competitive advantage [3]. Group 2: Consequences for Agents - Price chaos severely compresses profit margins for legitimate agents, pushing them towards a precarious market situation where they face the dilemma of either lowering prices to maintain sales or risking profitability [3]. - Many brands have witnessed collective "defections" from agents, primarily due to the unprofitability caused by price chaos [3]. - The emergence of price wars, where businesses continuously lower prices to retain customers, leads to a destructive competitive environment that disrupts market order [3]. Group 3: Industry Innovation and Development - Price chaos hinders industry innovation and development, as brands lacking reasonable profits cannot invest in research, quality enhancement, or after-sales service, resulting in a "low price, low quality" vicious cycle [4]. - The presence of price chaos creates an environment conducive to counterfeit and imitation products, which not only infringes on brand intellectual property but also poses risks to consumer safety due to potential quality issues [4]. Group 4: Solutions for Price Control - Brands must establish a comprehensive price control system, including unified online and offline pricing policies, clear pricing ranges, promotional rules, and penalties for violations [4]. - Utilizing technology to create an intelligent monitoring network that captures real-time pricing information across the internet is essential for early detection and resolution of price chaos [4]. - Implementing a dual approach of "tracing and accountability" is crucial, involving unique trace codes for products to identify sources of unauthorized sales and strict enforcement of contracts with violators [4]. - Strengthening collaboration with e-commerce platforms to leverage intellectual property protection mechanisms can facilitate rapid complaints and removal of price chaos links [4]. - Educating consumers about authentic product identification through official channels can help reduce the demand for products sold at chaotic prices [4]. Group 5: Market Health and Price Order - A healthy online market relies on a clear pricing order, as the short-term "low-price boom" resulting from price chaos is ultimately unsustainable [5]. - Brands must take proactive responsibility for price control through institutional, technological, and channel collaboration to protect their reputation, safeguard agent interests, and ensure consumers receive trustworthy products, thereby achieving a virtuous market cycle [5].