Director Meryl Koh contributed to Asia IP article on using IP to launch product in a new market

23 Aug 2022

Director Meryl Koh was invited to contribute to Asia IP’s article titled, “Using your IP to launch your product in a new market”.

When launching a product in a new market especially in Asia, businesses need to communicate in extremely unique, local terms that are tailored to the needs and conditions of their target consumers. With this in mind, considerations about IP are central to a product launch, especially in a world that is increasingly digital in all aspects and even more so for businesses in tech and innovation. 

Meryl shared in depth the considerations and risks relating to IP before launching your product in a new market, saying, “It is important to understand consumer interest in the product.” She elaborated, “One way to do this is to conduct a survey of the recent IP filing trends in the target market for the particular sector. This would help businesses assess whether there is likely to be interest in the product or if the market is already too saturated for a new entrant. Once a business is satisfied there is consumer interest, searches in local or worldwide IP registries can be done for registered trademarks, patents and/or designs.” 

On the challenge of culture and language differences, she commented, “In order to gain foresight into consumer spending habits and/or user mentalities, businesses may consider whether local talent should be involved in every level of management even from the early stages of product development. Hiring local talents who understand the market in their country would help the business in navigating cultural differences and would be important not just for a successful launch of the product but also for the longevity of the business.” 

You may click here to read the full article that appears on Asia IP.