"IP is Important but not urgent." Business executives always have to juggle with priorities. In terms of priority, IP tends to constantly sit below the bullet point: "selling products/services" and other value adding tasks. Thus, it is often a crucial task for an IP manager to point out the intangible value of IP and foster "IP awareness".
Two strategies for an IP manager to achieve the goal "IP awareness":
1. consistency: employee onboarding IP activities, employee education, regular exchange with stakeholders, etc.
2. riding waves...🏄♂️☀️
Lets face it! Strategy 1 ("consistency is key") is important and necessary, but it is often not sufficient. For businesses, it can be hard to leave old paths and be much more convenient to deal about IP later. Fear, however, is a powerful activity trigger to leave these old paths / comfort zone.
Fear is induced by looming IP waves. They are formed by e.g. a patent infringement case, or a copy cat induced melting market share of the innovative corporate product, or a patent troll case. This is where the value of IP becomes tangible for the business.
As an IP manager: ride those waves 🏄♂️☀️, these are opportunities! Take advantage of the wave energy to move forward in fostering corporate IP awareness. This is often THE time for IP strategic and tactical initiatives, when they have failed before.
(But better implement Tsunami wave protection strategies in advance.)
