CDEX-BRAND PROTECTION - CSDU
Counterfeit Spirits Detection Unit (CSDU) is a portable solution to validate brands of distilled spirits by analyzing its composite spectral signatures. The CSDU provides manufacturers and law enforcement the ability to quickly detect counterfeit distilled spirits in the field at any point in the distribution process.
Manufacturers Protect Brand and Market Share with the CSDU
Every distilled spirit manufacturer understands market share and revenue growth are directly linked to brand recognition and consumer loyalty. A well-branded product establishes a loyal customer base and a competitive edge. Product integrity is a critical aspect of building that loyalty – and that edge. For counterfeiters, a product’s brand success is “easy money” at the expense of targeted manufacturers.
International Federation of Spirits Producers (IFSP) member companies (Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Brown Forman, Remy Cointreau, Bacardi-Martini and Allied Domecq) estimate annual global losses for all distilled spirits of between US$500 to US$700 million. The key questions for manufacturers are how much of this loss is yours, and just as important, how many customers and their dollars have been lost due to counterfeit products misrepresenting your product?
The ability to police the marketplace for counterfeit products is costly and marginally effective due to the difficulty of identifying counterfeits in the field. No test exists to help manufacturers to provide field inspectors the ability to validate bottle content against the brand label. Until now.
Taxing Authorities Protect Revenues with the CSDU
Taxing authorities generate revenue from the same branded products targeted by counterfeiters, thus counterfeiting adversely impacting local governments as well as manufacturers. The brand loyalty so coveted by manufacturers is also critical to the taxing authorities that are motivated to maintain the integrity of the distribution chain to sell only authentic products to consumers. Unfortunately the lure of easy money is often too tempting. Due to high “sin taxes” levied on distilled spirits (often more than 50% of the retail price paid by consumers) counterfeit-related loses in taxes and fees are often larger than losses by distilled spirit manufacturers.
The key questions for taxing authorities are how much revenue has been lost to counterfeit products misrepresenting regulated / approved taxable products and, how much revenue can be recaptured by improving law enforcement’s ability to detect in the field this misrepresentation?
The CSDU provides local and regional taxing authorities the ability to police the distribution channel and deter trading and serving of counterfeit products. The CSDU improves the field inspector’s effectiveness in identifying counterfeits while reducing the number of costly lab tests on approved product. No test exists to provide field inspectors the ability to validate bottle content against the brand label. Until now.
The Brand Protection Solution:
The CSDU solution provides the technology needed to identify fraudulent products from the market. Client’s using the CSDU can reduce the counterfeiter’s opportunities to sell product, and potentially deters counterfeiters from targeting their products, therefore protecting the brand’s market share, and maximizing profitability.
CSDU’s functionality is designed to provide an effective solution to fight counterfeiters attacking your brands:
Easy to use for individuals not specifically trained in forensic sciences. The user interface touch control screen presents the information and provides all data required for screening counterfeit distilled spirits such as brand name, and visual / audio confirmation of scan results. The solution is designed to support users from a wide range of backgrounds - shipping / receiving personnel, field product investigation personnel, law enforcement, or quality assurance and counterfeit lab personnel;
Requires no introduction of additives or markers to the distilled spirits at the time of manufacturing. CDEX solutions use the unique composite chemical fluorescent spectral signature of each brand name spirit to validate authenticity. This anti-counterfeit capability is critical to controlling a brand’s integrity by not introducing ingredient variables that may alter taste. The CSDU allows users to identify counterfeit distilled spirits of any manufacturer;
The CSDU is field deployable. Using a battery power source, the CSDU can be used in the field to test a product’s authenticity. It is designed for use by law enforcement as well as corporate field inspectors.
The CSDU provides a report capability to document test results. Reports can be customized to meet the needs of each user. This report can contain statistical result information represented in graph and numeric form to supplement criminal investigations.
Solution Benefit Summary:
Worldwide Brand Protection and Ultimate Consumer Safety Solution
Quickly detect counterfeit product in the marketplace,
Validate distilled spirits in inventories and retail shelves,
Deter counterfeiters from targeting your products,
Protect your brand quality and integrity, and
Re-capture market share and revenues lost to fraudulent products.
Improve Lab Analysis and Law Enforcement Support
The lab version CSDU reports results to support criminal investigations.
The CSDU is a cost-effective solution to authenticate brand name spirits by reducing the number of time-consuming and expensive lab tests on authentic products.
The CSDU Provides a Significant Return on Investment
Losses due to counterfeit products for distilled spirit manufacturers and taxing authorities are estimated in the billions of dollars. The recovery of a fraction of these losses coupled with the added assurance of avoiding the possible cost of a ruined brand far out weight the investment of implementing the CSDU.
Protect Tax and Fee Revenue Base
The CSDU can improve law enforcement’s ability to detect bottle “refilling” using cheaper substitutes.
Deter licensees from the practice of refilling bottles with cheaper substitutes.
Deter licensees from purchasing and serving look–a–like counterfeit product.
The Technology:
CSDU is a near real time, field validation tool that provides additional assurance that the distilled spirit has not been counterfeited by substitution or dilution of the constituent ingredients that make up the CDEX composite chemical spectral signatures. By analyzing the composite spectral signature of a distilled spirit with the specific brand signature in the system’s database, CSDU identifies spectral matches and mismatches, thereby identifying a counterfeit. The CSDU is design to validate distilled spirits in the field providing inspectors near real time test results using a patented multi-spectral ultra violet (UV) fluorescent analysis.
The CSDU has the complete process of UV excitation of a sample, capture of a sample’s electron fluorescent decay, analysis of a sample’s fluorescent signatures with that of the expected signature of a distilled spirit brand stored in the system’s database, and test result delivery in a portable unit.
CDEX is presently deploying this technology in the Personal Security Screening System (PS3) for explosive detection and ValiMed healthcare solutions.
CSDU is a portable scanning device that validates brand name distilled spirits in real time.
Contact:
Jerry Blair
jblair@cdex-inc.com
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