The Key to Brand Success: 3 Brand Cases on the Importance of IP

Bymaxisolution

When people talk about business, one of the first questions that often comes to mind is, “Will the product sell well?”

However, what really supports a brand’s long term success is often not just the product itself, but the intellectual property (IP) behind the brand.

In recent years, more and more companies have started to value IP, including characters, trademarks, brand stories, designs, and even the overall brand image. Once a business builds its own IP, it is no longer just selling products. It is building an asset that can continue to grow over time.

Some companies, such as Alibaba, eBay, and Pinkoi, mainly operate as platforms for different sellers. However, this kind of business model usually requires a very large market, strong resources, and high traffic. For most businesses, it is not easy to copy.

For this reason, building a brand with its own IP is often a more practical and sustainable strategy for long term growth.

In this article, Amy from Maxi will use 3 brand cases to show how IP can help a business build brand value:

  1. Case 1 | MINISO: Using Popular IP to Attract the Market
  2. Case 2 | Mixue: Building Its Own Brand IP
  3. Case 3 | Louis Vuitton: Turning a Brand into Cultural IP
  4. Why Should Businesses Build Their Own IP?

When it comes to IP collaborations, MINISO is a very typical example.

MINISO has launched collaboration products with the popular character Chiikawa, including plush toys, stationery, and lifestyle items. Since the character already had a stable fan base, the products were more likely to attract attention and create discussion in a short period of time.

This approach is actually very common in brand development. A brand may not have the ability to build a strong original IP at the beginning, so it first makes use of well known popular IP to enter the market more quickly. After the brand gains enough visibility, it can then gradually develop its own characters or product lines.

In simple terms, popular IP is not only a short term sales tool. It can also serve as a starting point for market entry and brand recognition.

💡 Amy’s Tip

An IP collaboration is not just a marketing tactic. It is also a branding strategy.

By working with popular IP, a brand can attract market attention more quickly, build awareness, and test product response at the same time.

👉 Use someone else’s IP to attract the market first
👉 Gradually build your own brand identity
👉 Develop your own IP assets when the brand becomes more established

Case 2 | Mixue: Building Its Own Brand IP

Mixue took a different path. Instead of relying on other people’s popular IP, it created its own brand IP directly.

Mixue introduced its brand character, Snow King, and then fully integrated this character into the business, including store image, product packaging, advertising, and even brand songs. One of its theme songs even became viral online, so that many people immediately think of Mixue when they hear the tune.

Over time, Snow King became more than just a cartoon character. It became a symbol of the brand itself. For consumers, seeing Snow King means thinking of Mixue right away. This shows the value of brand IP very clearly. For the company, self owned IP is also more stable than outside collaborations, because it can be used and developed over the long term without relying too heavily on other famous characters to keep market attention.

In short, Mixue shows that self owned IP can do more than improve brand recognition. It can also become an important asset for long term brand development.

💡 Amy’s Tip

When a brand has its own IP, it can gradually build market recognition while reducing its dependence on outside popular IP. Consumers may not remember every product, but they often remember a strong brand image.

Case 3 | Louis Vuitton: Turning a Brand into Cultural IP

Louis Vuitton shows a more advanced level of IP strategy.

In Shanghai, the brand created a unique ship shaped landmark called “The Louis.” This space is around 1,600 square metres and combines exhibition, retail, and dining. It is no longer just a traditional luxury store.

In other words, consumers do not go there only to shop. They go there to experience the brand’s history, travel spirit, and cultural atmosphere. When a brand moves from simply selling products to creating experiences, the public’s impression of the brand becomes much stronger.

Through this approach, Louis Vuitton has raised its image from a luxury retailer to a form of cultural IP. The brand no longer depends only on products to attract consumers. Instead, it uses space, storytelling, and experience to become a cultural symbol that people can remember and talk about over time.

💡 Amy’s Tip

When a brand reaches a certain stage of development, IP is no longer limited to characters or trademarks. It can be expanded into brand culture. Once consumers are willing to spend time visiting, experiencing, and even sharing the brand, its value goes beyond the product level.

Why Should Businesses Build Their Own IP?

From the above cases, we can see that different brands use different strategies.

MINISO uses IP collaborations to attract market attention. Mixue builds its own brand character. Louis Vuitton goes one step further and turns the brand into cultural IP. Although their methods are different, they all share one important point: IP has become a very valuable business asset.

If a company only sells products, it can be replaced by the market quite easily. On the other hand, when a brand owns its intellectual property, such as trademarks, characters, designs, or brand stories, it becomes easier to build recognition and strengthen long term competitiveness.

💡 Amy’s Tip

Many businesses only realise after they grow bigger that their brand IP was never registered, or worse, it has already been registered by someone else. By that stage, solving the problem is often much more difficult and costly.

So, if a company plans to build its brand for the long term, it should consider arranging IP registration as early as possible and laying a stronger foundation for future growth.

Before You Make Arrangements, Speak to Amy First

If your business is preparing to build a brand or launch its own products, it is worth planning both IP registration and the related financial arrangements as early as possible.

For example:
✔ Trademark / IP registration
✔ Brand income arrangement
✔ Tax and financial planning

If you are not sure how your brand should be structured, you may speak to Amy from Maxi first and understand the situation clearly before making a decision.

👉 For enquiries about brand planning, click here to contact us.

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