How can B2B companies build good IP?

There are great differences between to B enterprises and to C enterprises. The author combines his own designed cases and analyzes the differences and uses of IP creation between to B enterprises and to C enterprises, revealing that corporate IP needs to create a living body. So, how should to B enterprises build a good IP? Let's read the article together!

B2B companies are often confused when developing IP, and often find that the IP is not practical after it is developed.

The reason is that there is a lack of independent thinking on the development of to B IP, and the IP is made similar to the IP of to C enterprises, which easily leads to it becoming useless.

In fact, there are huge differences between B2B companies and B2C companies. There are many differences in IP development, especially in target objects and application scenarios.

Recently, we designed an IP for a listed to B company. Next, we will talk about how to B companies should build IP based on our own designed cases.

1. What is the difference between IP for B2B companies and IP for C2B companies?

To C companies mainly build their brands for the general consumers, while to B companies mainly build their brands by serving partners (including enterprises, organizations and institutions).

The difference in service objects is the key difference between to B enterprises and to C enterprises, which will lead to huge differences in IP application scenarios:

Below, we made a comparison table to show the different application scenarios of to B and to C on IP:

As can be seen from the above table, for any to C enterprise that has its own stores, theme parks and other main business venues, the IP image it creates is often first used to attract customers at the store entrance or theme park entrance. This is why the standing anthropomorphic effect of the to C IP is so important, which is equivalent to the second signboard of the store.

However, for B2B companies, the standing anthropomorphic effect may not be very important, because B2B companies rarely have stores directly targeting end consumers, and even if they do, it is not very important.

To B serves enterprises, organizations or institutions. How to showcase its own culture and provide more value to client units is the most important thing for to B IP.

After long-term analysis, IP Fried Rice has summarized the three major scenarios for the use of IP by to C and to B enterprises:

Consumer scenario activities, product packaging and POP displays, advertising and direct sales are the three most commonly used scenarios for IP of to C consumer product companies.

Different from this, for B2B enterprises to create IP, the three most important application scenarios are: derivative gifts, customer partner contacts, and industry public relations activities, and the display of corporate culture behind it is also very important.

The IP we recently developed for the listed company KingMed Diagnostics was designed based on the B2B scenario application concept.

First of all, KingMed Diagnostics is a medical examination industry group that focuses on the culture of "kindness and harmony" and has leading technology. Its main partners are various medical institutions, hospitals, doctors, etc., and it is committed to providing them with first-class medical examination equipment and technical services. On this basis, the mascot IP we designed for KingMed Diagnostics is a goldfish "Xiaoyu":

The reason why it is a goldfish named "Xiao Yu" is because the name of the company is Golden Domain. Therefore, the goldfish "Xiao Yu" is the easiest choice to associate with the company, the simplest and most direct.

At the same time, goldfish has very good cultural implications. It naturally possesses the characteristics of oriental culture such as abundance, good fortune, wisdom and agility, which are very consistent with the "goodness and harmony" cultural character of Golden Domain Culture itself.

We were really designing a goldfish, not an anthropomorphic character.

Prior to this, other design studios had submitted proposals for anthropomorphic goldfish, but none of them were satisfactory. The reason was that anthropomorphic goldfish could easily become childish, like characters in children's cartoons, which in turn weakened the goldfish's intelligence and beauty.

We abandoned the anthropomorphic routine commonly used in mascot IPs and emphasized the sense of cultural symbols. We not only wanted to show the corporate culture, but also fully considered what kind of joy and good fortune this IP would bring to KingMed Medical's clients and partners if it was given as a gift...

Therefore, we are not anthropomorphic in our design. Instead, we focus on the unique charm of the goldfish itself and explore its inherent cultural implications and design aesthetics.

Seeing this, some readers will definitely have questions: Is it true that IP designed by B2B companies must not be personified?

This is not necessarily the case. Even for B2B companies, if the main purpose of the IP is to serve as an event ambassador in various indoor and outdoor activities, then the standing effect and walking dynamics of the IP image are very important, and anthropomorphism is indeed more convenient.

Therefore, the style of the IP is still determined by the application scenarios in which the IP is most commonly used.

Back to the goldfish "domain", our inspiration comes from the streamlined aesthetics of modern architectural design and the natural sense of life of the Qatar World Cup mascot.

In order to further strengthen and form the unique symbol of the IP, in terms of visual expression, we deliberately combined the blooming shape of the famous Lingnan flower Bauhinia with the two tail petals of the goldfish.

To sum up, the goldfish "Xiao Yu" we designed is a mascot IP that emphasizes more modern design sense and cultural symbolism. In terms of image, it does not look like an anthropomorphic character from a cartoon, but more like an elf swimming out of modern craft aesthetic design.

In terms of world view design, we also emphasize that it comes from a biomedical ocean full of technology, and it travels in the blue ocean of biotechnology with wisdom, agility and a slightly playful attitude.

In the development of IP, the goldfish "Xiaoyu" has infinite possibilities for shape changes, just like the mascot of the Qatar World Cup, which can change freely in the water and stretch at will, and has a strong vitality for development, which can be seen in the following pictures...

2. What do To B enterprises use IP for?

The IP of an enterprise must be useful. The more useful it is, the longer the vitality of the enterprise IP will be.

The picture below shows the different uses of IP by to C and to B companies.

For toC companies, the primary task of IP is to spread the word among consumers, so it is often required to be more personalized, more visible, and have a wide cultural influence.

For B2B companies, IP must first be able to strengthen partnerships. It does not necessarily have to be personalized, but is often gentle and humble, and is based mainly on cultural reputation within the industry.

Simply summed up in one sentence:

The IP created by B enterprises should be widely used in derivative gifts, industry public relations activities, exhibitions and forums, etc. Through the vivid IP, more warm and efficient corporate culture value output can be carried out, and ultimately customer partnerships can be strengthened. These are also the value plans we planned when designing the mascot IP goldfish "Xiaoyu":

Through cultural symbolic design, we hope that the goldfish "Xiaoyu" can develop many high-quality gifts, bringing good luck and fortune to the company's partners, while also embodying the gentle and wise corporate "kindness and harmony" cultural power.

Therefore, we designed various postures for the goldfish "domain":

There are even some very sculptural shapes:

Designing so many variations in shape is certainly not just for fun...it actually has an important purpose. It can reserve enough room for variation for developing all kinds of creative, high-quality gifts.

Goldfish "Xiaoyu" can not only develop conventional derivative products such as plush, key chains, and small dolls.

Its cultural symbolic design can be used to develop unique badges, logo systems, reliefs, sculptures and other handicrafts. Whether using ceramics, glass, metal, or other special crafts, the goldfish "Xiao Yu" can perform very well.

What KingMed Medical needs is an IP that can embody a sense of wisdom and design, and at the same time be able to bring the beautiful meaning of auspicious culture to its partners.

Strengthening customer partnerships must be the core goal of B2B companies in building IP.

In short, we suggest that when to B companies create IP, they should appear to be of higher quality than to C IP. It should not be too childish, nor too arrogant or overbearing. It should be gentle but have the core of corporate culture.

This is determined by the introverted nature of B2B companies.

3. Building corporate IP is creating a living organism

Building IP and doing VI are very different.

When a company does VI, it is like decorating a house, emphasizing standardization and keeping it as unchanged as possible.

Building an IP is to create and cultivate a living being, so it cannot be unchanging like a VI, but must have various interesting expressions of life.

Therefore, in its extended design, we gave the goldfish "Xiao Yu" a variety of cute and interesting expressions, and various smart and changing shapes, making it seem to come alive, as if it were really swimming freely in the water.

Various expressions of "Xiaoyu"

The initial design of several dynamic expressions is also to strengthen its life characteristics——

Behind the "small domain" of goldfish, there is a cultural consensus of "life" and "health". It is like a little sun full of vitality, smart and innocent, a little humorous, a little naughty and playful. At the same time, it also attaches great importance to teamwork, exploring new things, and achieving its mission.

Wisdom, auspiciousness, friendliness and gentleness are the keywords of the life and personality of the goldfish "Xiao Yu".

IP is a living organism. It not only has an image, but also a worldview on which life depends and the construction of diversified content... The content can be literary and artistic creation, design, or the development of derivative products such as physical gifts.

By creating IP, companies can establish a more emotional relationship with their customers. In the metaverse and AI era, IP will become a truly valuable cultural asset for companies.

Author: Chen Gelei (Lao Xiaoge) team

Source: WeChat public account "IP Fried Rice (ID: IPCOOK)"