is it okay to be fake..?
One of the most difficult tasks when being a brand manager is building a strong and consistent brand, however, all the hard work can be destroyed if the consumers do not understand the importance of the uniqueness and the image the brand conveys.
When it comes to child labour drug cartels and the likes, no one seems to disagree that it is repellent and it should be stopped. Meanwhile, fake high-class fashion goods are thriving among consumers who do not realise the consequences of their purchases. To me the dilemma is apparent! While customers are buying themselves to a fake image, they are destroying the brand strength that creates this high-class image they are looking for.
Counterfeit products are illegal and they belong to the group of repellent organized crime. The brands have fought for decades to overcome the threat of fake products, and I think it is time for the consumer to take part in this responsibility. We have an obligation to stay true to the brands. Supporting the counterfeit industry, which sells $500 billion worth of goods annually, destroys the original brands and thus the business for the retailers as well as for all associated partners across the continents.
The fashion magazine “Harper’s Bazaar” in cooperation with the New York City Police Foundation sponsors one of the first initiatives to increase the awareness of the problem. They have created a foundation where anonymous reports can be filed on news or information about fake goods being sold.
Take a look at: Nycpolicefoundation.org for more information
Additionally, I heard a rumour that that Heathrow Airport, London, confiscates several 1000 pieces of counterfeit items, and if owners are identified they will be fined approximately 4 times the price of the original item. Worth thinking about…?!
Christina Fahrenholtz
posted by Brand007 @ 9:37 AM
2 Comments:
The distribution of counterfeit items is indeed a serious problem. Sometimes a brand creates such exclusivity and luxury around their products that create a highly desirable lifestyle. In order for people to become part of this lifestyle, they have to purchase the brand so that it could serve as a “badge” of the certain lifestyle. This “badge” can now be found all over the streets of New York and it is very accurate to what the authentic product would look like. Although the authorities are cracking down hard on the counterfeiters, the counterfeit distribution system just keeps getting more and more sophisticated. I believe as long as there is a desirable product with a recognized brand at a premium, there will always be a counterfeit version of it for those that are trying to force themselves in the lifestyle the brand creates.
-Jose Diaz
I visited Japan couple of times, and it seems to me that what Japan is doing is similar to London. In Japan, if the custom officers see that you're carrying counterfeit item, they will confiscate it. They even have various booths to educate people how to differentiate the real to the fake goods.
Fake goods, i think, should be demolished. But these days, those fake goods are so 'real' you cant even tell whats real and fake...
- Joanne Cahyadi
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