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room we.

0:25

Spot. The Difference, the Invincible

0:28

business of counterfeit Goods.

0:30

The a nice she went.

0:43

I was standing in front of an imposing townhouse

0:46

in a Swiss sixteenth around the. Then

0:48

comparing. It's classical

0:51

lines, multiple staircases and

0:53

delicately wrought iron balustrades

0:55

alive to see sense of purpose. To

0:58

me. The new grade and conscious

1:00

as songs. Than unusual kind

1:03

of museum. That specializes

1:05

in time to fit. I

1:07

hoped that my face it would help me understand

1:09

a program. The tree branch have been battling

1:12

for decades. That of

1:14

mass market, not costs and. The candidates.

1:18

According to some estimates, the trade

1:20

in fake products is black six

1:22

hundred billion dollars per year. And

1:25

many as ten percent of all branded

1:27

goods. Oh, may be counterfeit. It

1:30

is estimated that eighty percent of

1:32

I handled fake have falsified

1:34

good. We didn't me or not.

1:37

Sales of luxury goods have soared in recent

1:39

decades. Hank. Have

1:41

grown even faster. One

1:44

estimate suggests that candidates has increased

1:46

by ten thousand percent

1:48

in two decades. It's

1:50

not just the overall thickest, the bulk of

1:53

the mind. One French

1:55

customs rate confiscated and Miss

1:57

St. Louis, the tone fabric together

1:59

six. For tennis courts. A

2:02

sweet on a sell out on the online Chinese

2:04

shopping platforms Taobao netted

2:06

eighteen thousand five hundred counterfeit

2:08

facts prince and foot day. A

2:11

back in the trade impounded eighty

2:14

five thousand counterfeits ready for

2:16

the Black Friday and Christmas markets. In

2:19

Istanbul and twenty twenty, almost

2:21

seven hundred thousand counterfeit hair

2:24

care products the seized. Usually

2:27

when there are many more candidates and the real

2:30

thing, you see a collection of some kind.

2:33

Despite the growth of an authentication industry

2:36

with an ever expanding list of. The anti counterfeiting

2:39

toes. There are many activated tamper

2:41

proof sales, security numbers are

2:43

as I do. The radio frequency identification

2:46

parks color shifting thanks holograms.

2:49

He doesn't seem to be happening. wanted

2:53

to make sense of this discrepancy. Why

2:56

can't the design is and the big brands stop,

2:58

oh, really slow down the counterfeiters? How

3:02

do you tell the difference between the with? Thing

3:04

and a fake anyway. In

3:07

many lay down country songs, there

3:09

is typically friend's answer to be Christian.

3:12

Last between displaying products

3:15

and I can defeat Senedd by Sunni. Hopefully

3:17

labeled rate and for. looked

3:21

at what seem to be the same as quoted two

3:23

point five five, she now handbag. In

3:26

fact, the talk told me he was a

3:28

Turkish made knockoff. Where

3:30

do you which know? Two regular and motorist's

3:33

kitchen. Fake was glued

3:35

together. The signature quilting

3:37

was made of cardboard and cotton wool. At

3:40

first sight, Korean bag's looked just

3:42

like lily the top. I'm

3:44

closer examination I notice that

3:46

the distinctive tree farms have been replaced

3:49

by circle and a bar. I'll

3:51

be let down by some superficially similar

3:53

characters in singles, the curly and alphabet.

3:57

Not single element of the designed much.

4:00

The reason. The overall

4:02

effect was unmistakably return.

4:05

The guide explained that this illustrates the.

4:08

Between fakery by imitation and

4:10

fakery by passing off. Another

4:13

cabinet: How the two thousand year old

4:15

Polish fake of Roman answers?

4:19

What should be Roman name on the stuff that

4:21

was replaced by wind and symbols? I

4:25

got a feeling that the museum staff were

4:27

quite proud that oldest faith with

4:29

me. I'm French territory. Rather,

4:32

and stride estate always carrying my notebook,

4:35

wallet and keys in supermarket, plastic

4:37

the. Leaving the hotel

4:39

earlier that day, and I realized that

4:41

the last minute and they showed a bad was

4:43

fake loans and. The museum,

4:46

the guy, showed me the real thing. Nine

4:49

the little girl, so that's that hum of to

4:51

sit with plane gold ring way, it should

4:53

have been leaping long some horse

4:55

and jockey. The inside

4:57

of mine that the deliciously thick

4:59

rubber he only sticky quality of

5:01

the genuine article. Compared

5:04

to the wheel things, the leather on my back

5:06

was or. And he an insubstantial.

5:09

Teaching inadequate. I

5:12

asked the guy about the building. True

5:14

that it was a copy of an earlier seventeenth

5:16

century once in the Moray district. You

5:19

don't mean. Did he misses,

5:21

I we need that the museum was

5:23

it south housed in a counterfeit? The

5:27

guy I'm not exactly. A

5:30

sense death for India. It's

5:32

a copy, not candidate. Whether

5:34

we know I'p p know can't as it is possible.

5:49

The movie "Eight and contrast I saw" specializes

5:52

in luxury thanks. The

5:55

explosion in counterfeiting over the past

5:57

two decades has mostly taken place

5:59

in the made mom. Grand

6:01

knockoffs that used to be sold on market

6:03

stores and now just a couple of clicks

6:05

away on the Internet. The

6:07

products are most affected, are those now. The

6:09

me unlovely Jargon of Marcus

6:12

As. Each product's.

6:14

The mining mass market and three states. At

6:18

premium that skin affordable. No

6:21

clean and separates the some it's

6:23

weekends. Instead of emphasizing

6:26

craftsmanship and tradition, superior

6:28

quality an ex. Typically. Each

6:31

case human cells in given.

6:34

We were filming celebrity association

6:37

and twins. The

6:39

money printing take peek. Each

6:42

book, if you should donation. The

6:44

implicit distance between the world be

6:47

Bruins represent. Communications

6:50

and the product that consumers can actually

6:52

afford to pay. Earlier

6:55

that week, and Amsterdam, net

6:57

bjorn cross. Regional

6:59

director of the anti counterfeiting organizations

7:02

we act. react has

7:04

thirty years experience fighting the counterfeit.

7:07

It handle some and twenty thousand cases year

7:10

working with customs and law enforcement. agencies

7:13

across hundred and seven countries. Three

7:16

hundred or so clients are row cool

7:18

of the world's most powerful right sadness.

7:21

Then you piece products fall into the mast

7:23

each category. Then that

7:25

Abercrombie and Fitch. Hundreds and ninety.

7:29

The me. Leave nice Tommy

7:31

Hilfiger. Then. The

7:33

party. Jack Daniels. The

7:36

you doing? Lawyer. The to

7:38

gamble, Unilever Warner

7:40

Brothers, Yamaha. [Playstation]

7:43

Hello to do. The boy.

7:47

A taxi taking me from the station's girl

7:49

that long balanced our veins to that school of thought.

7:52

Established and it to block of flats. And

7:55

then into smaller and smaller terraced

7:57

houses. The

7:59

driver. Ask me why I come and added

8:01

unimpressed when told him. Why

8:04

can fix in Amsterdam? They don't

8:06

make them here. am from package",

8:09

he said proudly. We make many

8:11

it. We came to a hunk

8:14

outside two storey simply tabled

8:16

house. In the front panel, which

8:18

says is meeting when I was played

8:20

with extremely good coffee recruits

8:23

lists and his colleague Mary had cheated.

8:26

The shelves to my right overflowed with

8:28

the sort of knock off. You might see on a stool and

8:30

access drinking and. The

8:33

Boatswain's holding that fifty time

8:35

on case study earrings in the shape of

8:37

Chanel Apple St. Be

8:39

staffed, pool think Julius mean to. Plastic

8:42

passes with Ganis, multicolor

8:44

lv logos. Well,

8:46

cause he's fake aerial washing powder, stood

8:48

alongside an unopened full pack of

8:50

braun or obey electric toothbrush

8:53

heads. Indistinguishable from

8:55

one out open that morning. When

8:58

he died years ago, when the company started,

9:00

could say, has said. We smoked

9:02

three thousand fakes month, we thought

9:04

we were doing good job. The

9:06

record: one hundred thousand year we were

9:08

pat ourselves on the be. This

9:11

man. Let me change what

9:13

we date and now we're still paying twenty

9:15

five million compensate for, yeah. riyadh

9:19

he's giving speech and market since sliced

9:21

pizza soon. Now they

9:23

monitor the points that which bulk. I'm

9:25

in Japan to fit into the you. The

9:28

pain about such as Russian and fat

9:30

and Brennan. One shipping container

9:33

can hold thousand times. What in smuggler

9:35

suitcase? Pick your bike, put

9:37

the right sheep, the right. No, and

9:40

you can stop tens or even hundreds

9:42

of thousands of fakes in single

9:44

swoop. That is not easy. Around

9:47

one hundred and eighty million shipping containers

9:49

ways around the globe each year. The

9:52

mean of which pass through rocketed? The

9:55

Tigers and his colleagues have to pick

9:57

out which of these identical containers.

10:00

Might be storing candidates and U.S.

10:02

customs officials to wield giant

10:04

bucks off the ship to see if that really.

10:07

The obviously. It's quite fast,

10:09

couldn't tell me too many of the clues and techniques

10:12

he uses his potential feet. Using

10:15

finds himself blacking up not

10:18

rather, than what he is It

10:20

it uses since for minister

10:23

the shit club. The suspicious

10:25

he told me. Because it it's.

10:27

nike shoes, it would say ninety and

10:29

it is added as it would say, editor" Most

10:33

to counterfeit goods come from Asia. China

10:35

and we have bentley to paint to support. The

10:38

often looking at shipping eighteen smothered in fact

10:40

trees and they changed their names all the time.

10:44

They cool things like unit one, two,

10:46

three, four and it's all in Chinese. It

10:48

is sometimes. and

10:50

giveaways

10:53

Hey, for you to sit on the floor.

10:55

Why can't cheat from a third fuel? can you?

11:06

Thank you for listening to the guardian.

11:08

Long read will be back after. This

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is the

11:12

guardian.

11:22

Hello. Have,

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you

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listened to the weekend podcast yet.

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Every Saturday. We

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pick some of the best from the guardian

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& Observer. you can up on

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The on Apple Spotify.

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is

11:51

the guardian.

11:56

They come back

11:59

to the can the game. Then.

12:04

The twenty first century branded products

12:06

is made by ever manufacture is cheapest.

12:10

Looking at the center of a vast and complex.

12:12

I am with designers and manufacturers, suppliers

12:15

and shippers, workshops and sweat shops.

12:18

Austin and border officials. It

12:20

will likely be sold thousands of miles

12:22

away from where was the conceived

12:24

or many French it? Some

12:26

products and made from as many as a hundred

12:28

part supplied by dozen or more contract

12:31

is in different countries. The

12:33

even the best and. The engine manufacturers.

12:36

Not all of them while. Ancient. May

12:38

not know what is finding it's way. The

12:40

supply chain. The

12:43

world manufacturers become concentrated

12:45

into few crowded industrial zones.

12:48

Nice and technology easily

12:50

indicated of state. Cross

12:53

skills can be replicated case. As

12:56

rain know, writer and industry. The

12:58

food. The human being contacted

13:01

by monkeys can act. The show up

13:03

and human being, not contract. By

13:05

nike, can take? Almost

13:08

never openly discussed by Pins is

13:10

the fact that many people must be complicit.

13:13

The ring, thanks. The

13:15

polite presumption is that those you can he

13:17

fakes must be in any. The

13:19

tiny can make the same goods to the scenes

13:22

and as. It it's pretty.

13:25

Trying to keep our unofficial fashion and

13:28

any rational shop I should do. When

13:31

put this questions to close, that has and

13:33

couches. The tension of came

13:35

as a counter space. Even

13:38

if you make it exactly the same which

13:40

is navigate. You'd still be stealing

13:43

from the present many features because the

13:45

manufacturer has invested money and advertising

13:48

sponsorship deals building the brand.

13:50

Then. China

13:53

has noted. When you buy

13:55

brand, you're investing in the dream. The,

13:58

you know, beats you were bought by Apple. They

14:00

make had sense that good but not amazing.

14:03

People buy them for cool. You're

14:05

buying quality, but you also buying

14:07

been part of the group.

14:10

The look you can me and smiled. The

14:13

designers and can make a nice pair that with

14:15

nice dream. You might

14:17

and your self esteem will be good. Then

14:20

people would rather buy more expensive,

14:22

genuine article than cheaper fake.

14:25

Even if putting items look almost identical.

14:28

It's because they are buying not just

14:30

the product's tangible qualities. It

14:33

also it's intangible one

14:35

is. We bind the reputation

14:38

of the brand and the reassurance that gifts.

14:41

We nine the image at companies create

14:44

around begins to glossy advertising

14:46

(NPR). We buy into

14:48

the cool they conjure up by sponsoring

14:50

the bright parties are getting the right

14:52

actor or rapper to be. Thanks to the brand.

14:55

Getting the right people can be seen drinking

14:57

the product or wearing or using

14:59

it. The power

15:01

of the intangible attributes of brand

15:04

is it they change, not just how you feel

15:06

about the product. The how you feel

15:09

about yourself. Many

15:12

different words I used to describe a brand's

15:14

intangible qualities. Can

15:17

talk about meaning. I

15:20

spoke. of the dream Is

15:22

used good will? The

15:25

advertisers like to talk about it. Image:

15:27

A marketing professionals prefer brand

15:30

equity. The candidate

15:32

is point of view. The T. V. And

15:35

you balls are simply the part of the product that

15:37

they don't need to talk. Since

15:40

companies that produce branded products

15:42

to separate a tangible send the. The

15:45

tangible. To locate manufacturing

15:47

where as it is. Deepest and to spend

15:49

more on beaming at the brand message.

15:53

The what is becoming increasingly obvious

15:55

is it the brand's best. Strategy since

15:58

the can't take is even better. Would

16:01

they have to do is make copy of the physical

16:03

product at the lowest possible cost

16:06

and they could free ride on the money that the way. Manufacturer

16:09

has spent on advertising sponsorship

16:11

deals. No, the other costs of building

16:13

brand. The riding

16:15

on all the effort it takes to develop and market

16:17

successful product. No one ever bothers

16:20

to take say it. A supremely

16:22

low risk when you're making money. To

16:26

defeating is illegal. He's

16:28

a much lower than for drug trafficking and other

16:31

organized crime.

16:33

The betting on a winning Hawks

16:35

after the race has been run.

16:39

The mood ran. The and on promotion

16:42

and, the last proportionally the physical

16:44

product. that they get the window

16:47

of opportunity they leave open security

16:49

because

16:57

Why are intangibles important? The

17:00

Institute of Becoming A Feast. He

17:03

takes you to travel from home and

17:05

into a bigger market. Deputies

17:07

is need to get potential customers more

17:10

information about them, is that? Compete

17:12

successfully. Because

17:14

we are storytelling animals, this

17:16

is as and based in for. The to.

17:19

me Nice,

17:22

the EU by you tree good at the sixteenth

17:24

century was superior because

17:26

it was in from men in thread. More delicate

17:28

and beautiful, and course, and. Then. Story

17:32

went to Brussels nice, make seat

17:34

and darkened room with

17:36

only soft flight to eliminate that

17:39

painstaking work so that the still

17:41

moist thread did not dry out.

17:43

Fina and more intricate patterns for

17:46

be created and would ever have been possible

17:48

with thread that was dry in Bristol. The

17:50

story kept. The imagination and

17:52

kept the product to the forefront of customer's

17:55

minds. The move

17:57

from product to brand gathered speed

17:59

and nineteen. The country as new products

18:01

began to be transported by mail way to

18:03

unfamiliar market. Consider

18:06

the else. Traditionally, oats

18:09

were fed l need to horses and invalid.

18:12

Then an enterprising milan. Had

18:14

the idea of marketing them as a breakfast

18:17

food.

18:18

If you'll selling oats to people Along,

18:20

by the away. need packaging

18:22

to transport them in, Then you can use

18:24

that packaging as a platform to

18:26

explain to new consumers, how,

18:28

and what time of day, they should be

18:30

eating this product. If you can

18:32

pay cash. memorable name and an image

18:34

for the box that conveys reliability,

18:37

honesty and even the strength

18:39

of purpose of the testing on Oats,

18:41

forgive you. It would be even

18:43

be. Which

18:45

is what the quaker oats. The company date

18:47

and eighty. Seventy seven, when

18:49

it went to set the first American trademark

18:52

for breakfast cereal. Or

18:55

the dawn of the twentieth century. The

18:57

classic for. Modern crimes.

19:00

That place of sale, packaging

19:02

and promotion for all employees. The

19:05

next century or so, the globalization

19:08

of trade and communications may prefer

19:10

the peace promised personality

19:12

and purpose even more important.

19:16

Comic beast. In

19:18

nineteen thirty one proctor and gamble

19:21

use the results of the survey to advertise.

19:23

Honey. The survey

19:25

asked fifty eligible bachelors

19:28

what he looked fall in girl they would manage. Forty

19:31

eight agreed that they wanted. Down

19:34

his charm is natural. In

19:37

case anyone miss the point, the like,

19:39

the survey also consulted seventy

19:41

three damage. It is. Older

19:43

than head that they would not hesitate to

19:45

recommend can for the most delicate complex.

19:49

And about product so? Have

19:51

been feted with an implied and. In

19:54

tangible promise. To

19:56

process. The small investment

19:58

he can I say. The robot. You

20:01

could buy a savvy big dream indeed.

20:05

The second new P personality.

20:08

Came of age in affluent postwar

20:11

U. S. The the nineteen

20:13

fifties quality had sell improved

20:15

across the board, the products could no longer

20:17

be differentiated on that basis alone.

20:20

Now the brand manages chief task

20:23

was to keep his project and identities

20:25

it would set it apart from its rivals. Standing

20:28

on increasingly crowded supermarkets.

20:32

One method which can make the product is

20:34

eyecatching is possible. I know

20:36

that was to add. Humanity.

20:40

We no longer just pretext. The

20:43

can be fun. Hide

20:45

he used Benson ahead. The

20:47

washing powder is orange and yellow bullet

20:49

is. mean, still in use today make

20:51

it instantly recognisable. The

20:54

pad showing how proud has guys hugging

20:56

a package because if it were long lost friend.

20:59

Hi Scott, what won't make

21:01

the all emotional connection.

21:05

The newest p his purpose.

21:08

In response to criticism from campaigners

21:10

brands have begun to present themselves

21:12

as activists. We

21:15

see them banishing that societal credentials

21:17

and inspiring others to do the same. Mikey,

21:21

but he's denied but dream. Crazy

21:23

featuring, Colin Kaepernick, the

21:25

NFL quarterback. The first note

21:27

for the pregame national anthem in protest.

21:30

Racial Injustice, the slogan

21:32

read believe in something, even

21:35

if it means, sacrificing everything just

21:37

silly. A

21:40

claim that it is not selling paint

21:42

pins. of optimism donates

21:44

half a million liters of paint to teams

21:47

of employee volunteers to give facelift

21:49

to run down urban neighborhoods. In

21:52

human, I have a racist lot

21:54

of into let's because having he's just

21:56

one percent revenue to men's mental

21:58

health cavities. We

22:01

increasingly been plans for the lifestyle

22:03

that encapsulate and the values they

22:05

may present. To put

22:07

it simply the. to jack to influence

22:10

over the past century or so hoping

22:12

to sell you more No, he,

22:14

he.

22:28

Selling feelings and tangibles

22:31

is such a good. Did he get no

22:33

individual brand as? Manufacturing

22:37

cheaply and adding more emotionally

22:39

to the product is new chief and image.

22:42

The good recipe for survival. Everybody

22:46

is employing similar strategy. "The

22:48

only way to compete it to go bigger,

22:50

an intangible", said the next. Therein

22:54

lies the problem. The

22:56

story of modern marketing administer

22:59

way of runaway arms race. Image

23:02

Building brand tickets: A King Social

23:04

Media Babel Creative Advertising

23:06

Celebrity endorsements. Woody

23:09

activities that leap it can see my to

23:11

think war. If you're trained at a band.

23:13

You need to be things. That

23:16

because sending intangibles is gift

23:18

to free riding tend to take us. The

23:21

more companies spend on this kind of band

23:23

built on. The more they feel, the

23:25

rise. The bakery. That

23:27

is potentially calamitous the brand's

23:29

as whole. And that's

23:32

why out would be for parents to decide

23:34

together to put effort on the brakes

23:36

and agree that everyone sub similar tiny seats

23:39

cuts. The and on intangibles. A

23:41

move it would leave the competitive hierarchies

23:44

I'm touched while allowing them or

23:46

to spend more on their workers and their products.

23:49

The council that happening is almost zero.

23:53

It would require the ban is just.

23:56

to make the people open the among themselves

23:59

The only. other brands

24:01

to do the right things and The cheek,

24:03

my secretly increasing, rather than purchasing

24:06

spending on intangibles. tied

24:09

to expose the value or otherwise

24:11

of the different parts of that brand's to point

24:14

of view. No

24:16

wonder they would rather tackle the counter protest

24:18

and the causes of counterfeiting. Some

24:23

more guardian long remains intact.

24:25

Go to the guardian.com

24:28

on

24:30

Soundcloud at SoundCloud, the

24:33

guardian long read.

24:41

That

24:42

was Spot. The Difference, the

24:44

Invincible business of counterfeit Goods

24:46

by Alice Sherwood. Right

24:49

by Powell and produced by Jessica

24:52

Beck the executive producer

24:54

was Max Anderson. This

24:57

is the Guardian or.