How intellectual property drives narrative excellence

Authored by Indranil Ray, Brand Strategist and Communications Advisor.

During the course of my last assignment with the Indian Army (nationwide quiz competition for schools), I was asked this question on why is the Army wanting to build an IP. Should they or shouldn’t they, what a conundrum!

This conversation with my PR agency piqued my interest and thus began my sojourn into the World of IP’s. For starters, I am not even sure how many of us are aware that there is a World IP day (26^thApril), I sure wasn’t. Why would one create an international day for IP’s?Are marketers looking at branding this as well to engage with their audiences? Hope not!

What is an IP? An intangible property that is the result of human creativity?It all stems from the fact that certain products of a human creativity should be provided with same or similar rights that apply to a physical property, as goes the definition.

In today’s hyperconnected and highly competitive business market place, there is a spirited belief, at the heart of every thriving business lies a single, transformative step that holds the key to success, mastering the art of brand and intellectual property. This key factor can determine the fate of a Brand, its success or obscurity.

Building that narrative or in other words, “Story Telling,” is a pot boiler which Brands strive fordelivering to their consumers. Associating with unique IPscreated by the World’s Largest Voluntary Force, the Indian Army are opportunities Brands should not miss out on.Either they can join existing IPs or even better build new IPs jointly.

How does this association benefit the Brand and their “storytelling,” capabilities?

The creation of an emotional connect - Brands strive in building positive impressions within their consumers and IPs like quiz competitions help in enhancing engagement through useful information dissemination. IPs like these help Brands experiment with new ideas, formats and technologies which todays GenZ looks for in abundance

Building trust& loyalty - Brand value, a key focus can effectively be brought about by user generated content and an association with the Indian Army, an entity which is built on loyalty and trust. Brands can link what they stand for and share these values with their consumers

Use of Social Causes - The key focus of this IP was fair play, gender equality and skill development.  The effective use of pedagogy-based class room training, online availability of practice quizzes for every school to utilize, assisted in building the cause of skill development across the entire Country. Not so “elite,” schools had an opportunity to hone their skills and go head on with the so called “elite,” ones. Social Causes are great enhancers to a Brands Story telling narrative

“Opportunities multiply as they are seized” – Sun Tzu - Brands must leverage opportunities available in today’s world. Not only will they help in optimizing costs but also in associating with other Brands which stand for similar consumer ethos. Ips created by the Defence forces is a hallmark for such associations.

Another Sun Tzu quote which comes to my mind, “In war, then, let your great objective be victory, not lengthy campaigns”- Victory here stands for its growth in consumer base, and hence not about just being creative but how well it resonates with your consumer base. It’s all about defining that victory and what better way to do so than associate with winning successful IP’s? Who better than the Armed forces to stand tall in Victory?

Brand storytelling prods consumers to arrive at conclusions, so better storytelling using Intellectual properties help them be more receptive to the narrative.

In this World of ours, opportunities can arise from technology advancements, consumerbehaviour or landscape paradigm shifts. Brands could use these opportunities quickly and efficiently. Creating association with IP’s and more so those driven by the Defence forces and their large outreachare sure shot ways in building that effective narrative.