How to differentiate MIKOL products and knock offs
With the rising number of imitation products on the market now, we felt it is necessary to inform our customers the difference between our products and the imitation ones.
The first test to see if it is a MIKOL product is to see if we have our logo properly printed inside the phone case.
Second is to be sure that you receive a certification of authenticity from us in each product.
Now the real test comes into play:
1. The plastic cases
At MIKOL we only work with 100% genuine natural marble. So if you see the same exact patterns over and over again, it's a plastic case. You will never have the same marble pattern if it's real stone.
The plastic marble cases will also be lighter and feel plasticky instead of that premium feel you get with authentic stone.
2. Faux marble spray & Engineered Marble
These are a little bit more difficult to tell since there is a bit of artistic talent to this.
Faux marble spray is sandblasted on, so your case will feel like sand paper. The veining will look as if it's colored on.
With the engineered marble, you will see the grains more, rather than a smooth polished finish like natural stone. The veins won't be as refined since it's compressed marble grains.
3. Resin Soaked Marble
This is the most difficult one to determine. The "resin soaked" marble is partially marble, but majority soaked in resin to maintain the resilience we can provide. It is real marble, except a majority of it is soaked in resin which tarnishes the natural luxurious look.
The end result will look like marble with a plastic look to it.
The gloss won't be as beautiful as if it were naturally polished. We would hate for anyone to pay so much money for something that ends off looking like a plastic case.
Over the past 20 years, China has brought a tremendous amount of knock-off products, which we initially embraced quickly. However, as time went by, the quality and standards of these products caught news attention just as quickly as we embraced these items.
We began hearing about milk powder for infants being contaminated with chemicals. Children’s plastic toys didn’t pass safety standards which was poisoning kids.
As we move on to fashion apparel to handbags, wallets, sunglasses, etc. Louis Vuitton was one of the highest producing knock off items in China.
Even with all these China produced items at a third of the original cost, we see brands slowly gaining back their position against knockoffs.
The reason is, a brand is not just about commanding high priced items, but a symbol of values, philosophy, and history. The values, vision, and philosophy of the brand transcends into the product and craftsmanship. Something Chinese manufacturers still can’t seem to comprehend because it's a replica that carries no emotional value.
Brands are proud of their design, their work, and acknowledgment by others. It becomes more than just simply mass producing an item to sell.
Every brand has their own unique story to share with their customer group. It's like building an exclusive club that appreciates the same values.
For example:
A woman’s handbag is to carry and hold items from a day to day basis. There are plenty of options available on the market for handbags. Why take the extra step to copy another brand’s design when it’s just a functionality piece? Because that handbag represents much more than just a functional item for a woman, there is a story and exclusive group that appreciates those values the brand represents.
Many people show us photos of other web sources of printed marble iPhone cases, macbook covers, iPad cases, notebooks, etc.
They are great products in its own way and we appreciate the reference, but it’s not something that bothers us.
We pride ourselves using genuine marble, and it really separates us from the other products.
Everyone has different taste, and we want to attract ones that appreciate our values.
People who love the look touch and feel of gold wouldn't bother shopping for brass, would they?
And most importantly, we believe our customers are of certain status and culture that enjoy premium materials.
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