Intellectual Property Value of Brands

We often hear from business and intellectual property advisors about the importance of trademarking to create brand value. However, rarely do they discuss what brand value really means or how IP protection can deliver it.

The problem is that trademarking (or for that matter patenting) don't inherently create value for a business or brand. All they do is protect value that has or will be created.

This simple misunderstanding results in many businesses investing significant amounts of money protecting brands that have little or no value in reality. They put the cart before the horse, thinking that ownership of trademarks will give the business a competitive edge, when in fact it is the ownership of powerful brands that will give the competitive advantage.

Of course intellectual property protection is important, but its role is to protect the value created in the brand, not to actually create value in the brand.

This blog is supported by the ethical brand consultancy, Scamper Brand Strategy.

Excellent example of an ethical brand

We often talk about the importance of brands having a high degree of authenticity and integrity aswell as the importance of green and ethical brands to offer direct benefits, and appeal to the consumer, not just their ethical stance.

A fantastic example of both these principles is the organic skin care company Raw Gaia.
As implied by its name (which itself is a strong element of the brand), Raw Gaia products are made from cold-pressed organic and vegan ingredients such as Cocoa butter. Unlike many cosmetic brands that claim to be natural but in fact only contain token extracts of natural products, Raw Gaia is pioneering in its commitment.

Not only is this authenticity exhibited in their products through, they have also taken a strong stance on ethical marketing of cosmetic products, refusing to use such dubious claims as anti-ageing and rejuvenation and avoiding the use of artificially enhanced beauty photography.

However, unlike many ethical brands, they haven't forgotten about delivering what consumer really want. The founding principle of Raw Gaia was to create cosmetics products that are not only close to nature, but that really work. Hence the use of only raw ingredients due to their high content of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals etc. They've also developed a distinctive attractive identity for the brand that further enhances their desirability.

Raw Gaia is an excellent example of an ethical brand and has consequently seen remarkable growth since the launch of its business in May 2006.

This blog is supported by the ethical brand consultancy, Scamper Brand Strategy.