Värdering av varumärken

Sammanfattning: Background: The trademark is something that surrounds us almost all the time wherever we are. Studies show that brands are becoming increasingly more and more important and that it is important to have a strong trademark. This may be a reason for acquisitions. A business is carried out for various reasons, but usually it is to gain market shares or to get advantages in the market, such as a trademark can help with. A contributory effect on the market can be customer loyalty to the trademark. Previously, there have been articles written, studies done and conducted research on brand valuation. In these studies, it has been treated the way trademarks are managed in practice and the methods and models used for valuation of these trademarks. These studies will the authors to have as the basis of the data and on the basis of the reply to the standard problem. Problem Discussion: In business acquisitions, it is essential that there is a correct and fair valuation of the trademark as possible. According to experts in brand valuation, various models of trademark valuation result in different values for the same trademark. How can it be ensured that the value method on the trademark is something that is reliable? This question often pops up when neither the trademark valuation, or valuation situation is quite similar to the other. There are different definitions of a brand and the knowledge of those definitions is important to know then it comes to valuation of a trademark. This definition, as well as assumptions about the brand and the market, can have a significant impact on trademark valuation. Therefore it is essential that the valuation is carried out in a proper manner and do not display a misleading picture, which in turn can lead to economic difficulties in the future. Problem definition: From the background and discussion above, the following question can be asked: To what extent are the different valuation methods used for trademarks among those who valuate trademarks and companies? To answer the question above, the following four points are to be examined in the paper: 1) The most frequently used valuation method. 2) Advantages and disadvantages of the method. 3) Other methods that are more suitable. 4) How you see that the expected value of the trademark is accurate and reliable. Purpose: The aim of the paper is to provide a deeper insight in the use of valuation methods in valuation of trademarks. Moreover, the authors like to examine the difficulties and/or obstacles that may arise in the valuation, if possible. Method: The paper is based on the literature review previously carried out in the specified field. The methodology used is deductive. The data will be used based on four earlier studies in trademark valuation, and two interviews of knowledgeable people in the same field. Results: The points that were examined showed that the relief from royalty method is the most frequently used valuation method. However it is not flawless and the paper also mentions other methods appropriate for trademark valuation. Choice of method depends on the situation, but also on the information that is available. The advantage of the relief from royalty is that it is easy to use, sometimes as simple as it does not show a fair value of the trademark’s value. An example of a situation where the method does not suit particularly well is when a trademark has a short history. A cost-based method can be used instead because it does not count on future cash flows, but on the historical costs that are related to the trademark. There are other methods that might be more suitable but those require more resources, such as the market-based method. The problem with this method is if there is not enough data on previous transactions, the method does not give a fair value. To get the most accurate and reliable value as possible, complementary trademark valuation methods is recommended to be used. The most common combination is market-based method and cash flow-based method. Conclusion: The paper concludes that the relief from royalty method is mostly used. However, it has drawbacks and there are other methods to complement this. Overall, it has been found that there are some difficulties regarding to the valuation of trademarks. These problems are as following: How the trademark is defined, who is carrying out the valuation (assumptions/views on the market/company) and how available the relevant information is. To obtain a high reliability, the valuation should therefore be carried out in a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the situation for the company (both internally and on the market) and the market as a whole. This should be done to reduce the risk of future negative events. The methods have drawbacks, but together the methods are used to complement each other.