COLD AS ICE: Swarovski is giving copycats the cold shoulder.
The Austrian crystal maker has introduced a new labeling system to highlight the authenticity of its crystals used in finished products.
“It’s a way for our clients to tell their end consumers that what they are buying is legitimate and of high quality,” said Germain Bouchara, managing director at Swarovski Professional in France, where the new concept was presented.
The seal tag, which will be attached to finished products created by its clients and sold outside of the brand’s own boutiques, will carry the signature of Daniel Swarovski, who founded the company in 1895, along with a unique alphanumeric code certifying the authenticity of the crystal vis-à-vis counterfeit rocks as well as its own accuracy to be verifiable on the company’s Web site.
According to Bouchara, counterfeit activity has risen substantially between 2008 and 2010, originating mostly in Asian countries.
Clients, which include fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier, alongside smaller brands, will be able to acquire the label as part of a marketing service package, slated to cost up to 10,000 euros, or $12,348 at current exchange, per year, depending on the services purchased.
The new labeling system is understood as an opportunity to profit from Swarovski’s marketing tools such as branded events, multi-channel communication and brand visibility.
The crystal maker has calculated that end consumers are willing to pay up to 67 percent more for jewelry and 54 percent more for electronic items that are made with the house’s crystals, which it noted helps brands increase their turnover.