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BEWARE THE BRAND’S EVIL TWIN
As soon as your brand becomes successful, chances are it will be copied. There are shopping malls in the Far East which are entirely fully of counterfeit brands with their own almost exact copies of the genuine brands’ shops. If someone can find a way to do what you do but cheaper,and take advantage of the work you’ve put into building your own brand identity, then they will. If it’s any consolation, it only happens once you’re successful enough to attract their attention, but it’s irritating, it’s expensive to defend your intellectual property legally and it can damage your business. The issue of counterfeiting is a complicated one but the shadow industry exists because people want a bargain, and they are prepared to convince themselves that anything with your logo on it has as much value as the real thing, even if it’s obviously not as well manufactured.
The idea It’s not just the Far East, although China is the world’s biggest source of counterfeits. Every country in the world makes fakes; the UK specialises in counterfeit – poisonous – vodka. Others fake prescription drugs. Wherever there are high prices and high demand, someone will produce the rip-off version. It can be top brands fighting each other. The unseemly scrap
100 GREAT BRANDING IDEAS • 193
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