Novagraaf and VIM Group partner to combine IP and branding expertise for international brand owners

Amsterdam, 1 February 2021 – Intellectual Property (IP) consultancy Novagraaf and rebranding and brand organisation specialist VIM Group announced today a new partnership to provide greater business value for international brand owners. By uniting their IP and brand implementation expertise, the companies will provide targeted advice and analysis to brand owners that ensures both IP and marketing considerations are addressed in the early stages of a rebrand or branding project.

Brands are one of the corporate world's most valuable assets. However, the IP and legal rights and brand and marketing strategy that builds that value are still considered separate disciplines by many companies and suppliers. This can lead to an IP portfolio that is disconnected from the reality of a business's existing brand reach and growth objectives, and could lead to a business launching or extending its brand into new markets or territories without first acquiring or checking the necessary IP rights.

To meet the growing need for a combined approach to IP and brand implementation, Novagraaf and VIM Group have joined forces to enable brand owners to tackle this important topic effectively. By uniting IP and brand implementation advice and services, the new partnership will provide companies with the guidance they need to establish an IP strategy that will protect their investment in brand and marketing.

A new approach to brand management

Novagraaf and VIM Group have worked together on multiple projects in the last decade, and both companies have seen firsthand how complementary the two companies’ services are for brand owners.

Marc Cloosterman, CEO of VIM Group, which specialises in assisting brands in transformation, views integrating IP and brand management as key to combining the ‘logic’ and 'magic' of branding:

“Whilst the magic (the creative) is mostly dealt with by agencies, most companies struggle in sorting out the logic (the business side of branding) around their most valuable IP, their brands. Our data-driven tools, such as our ImpactValuator-instrument, enable brand owners to gauge the requisite brand transformation investment upfront – this is on average 10-20 times the cost of the creative services. With this joint offering, we’re able to fulfil the needs of the chief communication & marketing officers, the chief financial officers, and the chief legal officers.”

"With this joint offering, we’re able to fulfil the needs of the chief communication & marketing officers, the chief financial officers, and the chief legal officers."

As businesses have expanded globally and also invested more in their digital presence, the need for a consolidated and consistent IP and branding strategy is more important than ever, adds Lutgarde Liezenberg, CEO of Novagraaf, a NovumIP company:

“Brand owners that operate globally must deal with a patchwork of different IP legal systems and procedures, which adds further complexity to their business operations. In addition, they must navigate the threat to their businesses on- and offline, whether from counterfeiting, brand theft or damage to brand equity and reputation. By delivering innovative IP solutions alongside tailored legal, administrative and commercial advice and services, we are able to provide brand owners with the insight into their IP portfolios that they need to be able to make informed and strategic decisions, including putting the necessary IP protection in place to support a brand, and acting swiftly and decisively when errors or infringement are identified.”

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About Novagraaf

Novagraaf, a NovumIP company, is one of the world’s largest trademark filers, managing more than one million intellectual property (IP) assets on behalf of customers, and representing many of the world’s major patent and trademark owners. Founded in 1888, the company is headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with offices throughout Europe, including London, Brussels, Paris and Geneva, as well as in the US, China and Japan.

About VIM Group

VIM Group helps organisations analyse, organise and implement rebrand programmes and optimise brand management. Their team of project managers and technical subject matter experts manage brand change and improvement across all on- and offline touchpoints and channels. Both globally and locally, they work side-by-side with their clients to reduce cost whilst maximising brand coherency. VIM Group has provided independent experience, knowledge, and advice for more than 2,000 rebranding initiatives, growing into a globally recognised authority in the world of brands, with offices in Amsterdam, London, Munich, Hamburg and New York.

For further information, please contact us.