According to National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, typically intangible assets offer an economic advantage by providing lower manufacturing or operating costs. This include but not limited to allowing the use of low cost materials or less material, decreasing the needs for manpower in operation, lowering shipping costs, speeding up the manufacturing process, assisting in waste control or reducing energy consumption.
Also many intangible assets allow a company to impose premium pricing and empower a company to control dominant market share positions. It also creates barriers to entry in competitions such as time to market or R&D costs.