Harvard Business Review published a study,
Lessons from the Most Productive Firms
What do the leading companies have in common?
Four elements:
1. They generate value from digitization.
2. They invest in intangibles.
Besides technology and R&D, they invest in intellectual property.
The leaders invest 2.6x more in intangible assets compared to others.
3. They build a future-ready workforce.
4. They adopt a systems approach.
The leading companies build systems. They are actively looking for opportunities to access new markets, or collaborate creatively with stakeholders.
They collaborate, they form new ecosystems, and benefit from agglomeration effects.
2. and 4. are what makes brand licensing successful.