Insurance in the age of intangible assets

The way businesses create value has fundamentally shifted. Today, success is increasingly built on what can’t be seen or touched: data, brand reputation, intellectual property, and customer relationships. These intangible assets are now central to how organisations grow, compete, and stay resilient. In fact, UK businesses invested nearly £200 billion in intangible assets in 2022, outpacing tangible asset investment by over £32 billion. A clear signal that this transformation is well underway. This shift is reshaping how businesses think about risk and how brokers can support them.

A new risk landscape

In 1975, most corporate value came from physical assets. Today, it’s the opposite. Businesses rely on:

• Digital infrastructure and data
• Brand equity and customer trust
• Software, patents, and proprietary tools
• Customer relationships and behavioural insights

These assets are powerful but they’re also vulnerable. Cyber threats, reputational damage, and IP theft are real risks. And they’re often underinsured.

What’s changing in the market

Insurers are responding with new products and approaches. These include:

• Cyber insurance that covers business interruption and reputational harm
• Parametric cover for cloud outages or brand damage
• IP insurance for tech and life sciences
• Reputation risk cover linked to ESG and social sentiment

These solutions are evolving, and brokers are key to helping clients navigate them with confidence.

As the risk landscape evolves, so does the role of the broker. Intangible assets are now central to how businesses operate and understanding how to protect them is becoming more important.

Brokers are well placed to support clients through this shift. By staying informed, asking the right questions, and offering relevant cover, you help businesses make confident decisions. It’s about being clear, consistent, and focused on what matters most to your clients, now and in the future.