Do brands boost the impact of patents on innovation performance among innovation collaborators? Evidence from the UK.

The role of brands and innovations in a company’s performance has been extensively studied. Yet, it is not very clear whether branding can enhance innovation performance among innovation collaborators. This paper tests whether branding boosts the performance of new product innovations among innovators collaborating with their suppliers or business customers. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV), the empirical analysis is conducted on the ninth wave of the UK Innovation Survey (UKIS2015). The study found evidence that the impact of a patented innovation on its performance is enhanced by branding for businesses with radical innovation that collaborate with their suppliers and business customers. This effect is also observed for businesses that use codified knowledge and collaborate with their suppliers and business customers. Small firms collaborating with their suppliers and business customers appear to benefit the most from using brands, which differs from firms in the manufacturing industry. The research found evidence that the advantage conferred by branding is not eroded if competitors from the same industry adopt a similar strategy. This research contributes to the understanding of branding and innovation relationships by showing how combining branding with patented innovations may benefit collaborators depending on a range of internal or external influences.