CONSUMER COMPLICITY-COUNTERFEIT GOODS

IMT, Dubai-October 6, 2009- Guest Lecture aimed at discussing consumer complicity with counterfeit goods and the main categories of counterfeiting.
Dr. Peggy Chaudhary, assistant professor-Department of Management and Operations, at Villanova University outlined the approach of the research that was done to find valid data in both the categories, using which a model for complicity was made. Her contention was that the complicity model, which consists of personal and environmental factors, offers a much clearer direction against counterfeiting.
Traditional counterfeiting deals with virtual and physical goods like software, movies, books etc.; non-traditional on the other hand deals with consumer goods like pharmaceutical drugs, foods and beverages etc. She justified the necessity for a clear understanding of the model by mentioning that a large number of world’s population actively deals with counterfeit goods like watches, clothes, software, music etc.
Dr. Chaudhary emphasized on personal and environmental factors which help in giving a clear definition of complicity once they are determined by new age market research methods equipped with new ideas and techniques. She also highlighted the major ineffectual anti-counterfeiting campaigns over the years, for which hedonic shopping experiences, blog rebuttals, futile social and de-marketing actions were the prominent reasons.
She acknowledged models of Walt Disney for education of the consumer, Pfizer for evoking a sense of fear while using non-traditional counterfeit product, 3D holograms used for the empowerment of the consumer, and new innovative techniques such as E-Pedigree; as one of the most successful ideas and campaigns.
She concluded in the context of her book that despite improved technologies and effective campaigns counterfeiting can’t be abolished completely. Hence, a realistic picture of counterfeiting business would help in attaining a managerial perspective of the subject matter.


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