Many of the debates around international business policy envision a key role for innovation. The empirical evidence feeding these debates relies, among other methods, on using innovation indicators. Several studies have exploited patent-based innovation indicators, while alternative indicators appear underexploited. In this commentary, I review the case for using trademark data to measure innovation, discussing emerging research on the validity of trademark-based indicators. The main intuition is that including such indicators in the innovation measurement toolbox allows capturing more types of innovation, happening in more firms and in more places. I outline both the case for and the case against embracing trademark-based indicators of innovation in international business research. To illustrate their potential, I discuss studies that already addressed international business research questions using trademarks and I offer examples of new research that could do so in the future, in three core research areas: (i) the global geography of innovation, (ii) cross-border activities and local innovation, (iii) MNE's innovation and public policy. The ultimate goal here is to trigger curiosity and indicate possibilities, so that the community around this journal can further experiment with measuring innovation with trademark data. In the fast-paced world of international business, innovation is the engine that drives growth and addresses societal challenges. However, measuring innovation across different countries and industries is complex, especially when relying solely on traditional indicators like patents (legal rights granted for inventions), which mainly capture technological inventions. This study explores the potential of trademarks - symbols that protect brands and business ideas - as complementary indicators of innovation. Trademarks are used by various firms globally and can reflect innovation in products, services, and business models, offering a broader view of innovation activities.This study delves into the use of trademarks to measure innovation types and phases that patents may miss. Trademarks are intellectual property rights (legal protections for creations of the mind) like patents but are more inclusive, capturing innovation in non-technological areas and across different firm sizes and sectors. The research examines existing literature and case studies, proposing new research ideas to leverage trademark data. It also acknowledges the limitations of trademarks, such as the lack of requirement for novelty (newness), which could lead to false negatives (incorrectly identifying something as not innovative). The study is a commentary, reviewing arguments and evidence for using trademark-based indicators and suggesting future research directions.The results show that trademarks can indeed serve as valuable indicators of innovation. They help capture commercialized innovation, non-technological innovation, and activities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Trademarks also provide a more diversified geographical coverage of innovation, revealing activities in areas often overlooked by patent-based studies. The research concludes that combining patents and trademarks can offer a richer and more accurate picture of global innovation activities.The potential impact of this research is significant. By adopting trademark-based indicators, policymakers and businesses can gain a more comprehensive understanding of innovation landscapes. This could lead to more informed decisions and strategies that support economic growth and address public policy challenges. The study encourages the international business community to experiment with these indicators, which could ultimately lead to advances in how we measure and understand innovation.This text was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then reviewed by the author(s) to ensure accuracy. Beaucoup des d & eacute;bats autour de la politique des affaires internationales envisagent un r & ocirc;le cl & eacute; pour l'innovation. Les preuves empiriques alimentant ces d & eacute;bats reposent, entre autres, sur l'utilisation d'indicateurs d'innovation. Plusieurs & eacute;tudes ont exploit & eacute; des indicateurs d'innovation bas & eacute;s sur les brevets, tandis que d'autres indicateurs semblent sous-exploit & eacute;s. Dans ce commentaire, je passe en revue l'argument en faveur de l'utilisation des donn & eacute;es sur les marques pour mesurer l'innovation, en discutant des recherches & eacute;mergentes sur la validit & eacute; des indicateurs bas & eacute;s sur les marques. L'intuition principale est que l'inclusion de tels indicateurs dans la bo & icirc;te & agrave; outils de mesure de l'innovation permet de capturer davantage de types d'innovation, se produisant dans un plus grand nombre d'entreprises et d'endroits. Je pr & eacute;sente & agrave; la fois les arguments pour et contre l'adoption d'indicateurs d'innovation bas & eacute;s sur les marques dans la recherche en affaires internationales. Pour illustrer leur potentiel, je discute des & eacute;tudes ayant d & eacute;j & agrave; abord & eacute; des questions de recherche en affaires internationales en utilisant les marques et je propose des exemples de nouvelles recherches qui pourraient le faire & agrave; l'avenir, dans trois domaines de recherche cl & eacute;s: (i) la g & eacute;ographie mondiale de l'innovation, (ii) les activit & eacute;s transfrontali & egrave;res et l'innovation locale, (iii) l'innovation des multinationales et les politiques publiques. L'objectif ultime ici est de susciter la curiosit & eacute; et d'indiquer des possibilit & eacute;s, afin que la communaut & eacute; autour de cette revue puisse exp & eacute;rimenter davantage la mesure de l'innovation & agrave; l'aide des donn & eacute;es sur les marques. Numerosos debates sobre las pol & iacute;ticas de negocios internacionales contemplan un papel clave para la innovaci & oacute;n. La evidencia emp & iacute;rica que nutre estos debates se basa, entre otros m & eacute;todos, en el uso de indicadores de innovaci & oacute;n. Muchos estudios han aprovechado indicadores de innovaci & oacute;n basados en patentes, mientras que los indicadores alternativos parecen ser menos aprovechados. En esta cr & oacute;nica, repaso el caso de uso de datos de marca para medir la innovaci & oacute;n, por medio de la discusi & oacute;n de la investigaci & oacute;n emergente sobre la validez de los indicadores basados en marca. La principal intuici & oacute;n es que al incluir tales indicadores en la caja de herramientas para medir la innovaci & oacute;n se pueden capturar m & aacute;s tipos de innovaci & oacute;n, que pasan en m & aacute;s compa & ntilde;& iacute;as y m & aacute;s lugares. Esbozo los dos casos, a favor y en contra de adoptar indicadores de innovaci & oacute;n basados en marca, en la investigaci & oacute;n en negocios internacionales. Para ilustrar su potencial, abordo estudios que ya incluyen preguntas de investigaci & oacute;n en negocios internacionales usando marcas y ofrezco ejemplos de nuevas investigaciones que podr & iacute;an hacer lo mismo en el futuro, en las tres & aacute;reas centrales: (i) la geograf & iacute;a global de la innovaci & oacute;n, (ii) las actividades transfronterizas y la innovaci & oacute;n local, (iii) la innovaci & oacute;n en las empresas multinacionales (EMNs) y la pol & iacute;tica p & uacute;blica. El objetivo final aqu & iacute; es provocar curiosidad e indicar posibilidades, para que la comunidad alrededor de esta revista pueda continuar experimentando al medir la innovaci & oacute;n con datos de marca. Muitos dos debates sobre pol & iacute;tica de neg & oacute;cios internacionais definem um papel chave para a inova & ccedil;& atilde;o. As evid & ecirc;ncias emp & iacute;ricas que alimentam esses debates dependem, entre outros m & eacute;todos, do uso de indicadores de inova & ccedil;& atilde;o. V & aacute;rios estudos t & ecirc;m explorado indicadores de inova & ccedil;& atilde;o baseados em patentes, enquanto indicadores alternativos parecem subutilizados. Neste coment & aacute;rio, reviso o caso do uso de dados de marcas registradas para medir a inova & ccedil;& atilde;o, discutindo pesquisas emergentes sobre a validade dos indicadores baseados em marcas registradas. A intui & ccedil;& atilde;o principal & eacute; que incluir tais indicadores na caixa de ferramentas de mensura & ccedil;& atilde;o da inova & ccedil;& atilde;o permite capturar mais tipos de inova & ccedil;& atilde;o, ocorrendo em mais empresas e mais lugares. Esbo & ccedil;o tanto o caso a favor quanto o contra a ado & ccedil;& atilde;o de indicadores de inova & ccedil;& atilde;o baseados em marcas registradas na pesquisa de neg & oacute;cios internacionais. Para ilustrar seu potencial, discuto estudos que j & aacute; abordaram quest & otilde;es de pesquisa de neg & oacute;cios internacionais usando marcas registradas e ofere & ccedil;o exemplos de novas pesquisas que poderiam fazer isso no futuro, em tr & ecirc;s & aacute;reas principais de pesquisa: (i) a geografia global da inova & ccedil;& atilde;o, (ii) atividades transfronteiri & ccedil;as e inova & ccedil;& atilde;o local, (iii) inova & ccedil;& atilde;o de empresas multinacionais (MNE) e pol & iacute;ticas p & uacute;blicas. O objetivo final & eacute; despertar a curiosidade e indicar possibilidades, para que a comunidade em torno deste peri & oacute;dico possa experimentar mais com a mensura & ccedil;& atilde;o da inova & ccedil;& atilde;o com dados de marcas registradas. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic):(I)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (ii)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (iii)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic). In vielen Debatten & uuml;ber die internationale Unternehmenspolitik wird der Innovation eine Schl & uuml;sselrolle einger & auml;umt. Die empirischen Belege f & uuml;r diese Debatten st & uuml;tzen sich unter anderem auf die Verwendung von Innovationsindikatoren. Zahlreiche Studien haben patentbasierte Innovationsindikatoren verwendet, w & auml;hrend alternative Indikatoren offenbar weniger ausreichend genutzt werden. In diesem Kommentar & uuml;berpr & uuml;fe ich die Gr & uuml;nde f & uuml;r die Verwendung von Markendaten zur Messung von Innovation und diskutiere neue Forschung zur Validit & auml;t von markenbasierten Indikatoren. Die wesentliche & Uuml;berlegung besteht darin, dass durch die Aufnahme solcher Indikatoren in die Toolbox der Innovationsmessung mehr Arten von Innovationen erfasst werden k & ouml;nnen, die in mehr Unternehmen und an mehr Orten auftreten. Ich skizziere sowohl die Gr & uuml;nde f & uuml;r als auch die Gr & uuml;nde gegen die Verwendung von markenbasierten Innovationsindikatoren im Forschungsbereich der internationalen Betriebswirtschaft. Zur Veranschaulichung ihres Potenzials diskutiere ich Studien, die sich bereits mit Forschungsfragen der internationalen Betriebswirtschaft unter Verwendung von Marken befasst haben, und ich zeige Beispiele f & uuml;r neue Forschung auf, die dies in Zukunft in drei zentralen Bereichen tun k & ouml;nnte: (i) die globale Geographie der Innovation, (ii) l & auml;nder & uuml;bergreifende Aktivit & auml;ten und lokale Innovation, (iii) die Innovation von MNU und & ouml;ffentliche Politik. Ziel ist es, Neugierde zu wecken und M & ouml;glichkeiten aufzuzeigen, damit die Forschungsgemeinschaft rund um diese Fachzeitschrift weiter mit der Messung von Innovation mit Markendaten experimentieren kann.
