What is Co-Creation?
Co-creation is the practice of product or service development that is collaboratively executed by developers and stakeholders. Co-creation goes far beyond being merely customer oriented. It’s about making the customers truly part of the company (family, ecosystem, etc.) and that their voice is heard. Co-creation is certainly not new, but is becoming popular quite rapidly. Different types of co-creation are evolving. Types range from discrete participation in crowdsourcing to extreme- and mass collaboration models (wiki for example), that offer deeper levels of engagement and participation.
What are the causes of the trend of co-creation?
For decades, consumers have been saving up their insights and rant about the stuff they consume, simply because they didn't have adequate means to interact with companies, or with other consumers for that matter. This has changed now by the emergence of online social software (e.g. blog, forum, wiki) and the increasing use of these tools by people. This means from the customer point of view (especially newer generations) that they expect from companies to actively listen to them. In addition, from the company point of view, companies are increasingly trying to find out on what customers want. The development of the product or service itself is often not the problem anymore, but developing the right product of service is. So why not involve the customers directly?
How can I start co-creation in my company?
To change the mind-set of people within a company into the way that an external customer thinks is not easy. Our suggestion is that becoming customer-focused is the most fundamental change, so this needs to be addressed first. We can help you to understand your customer's needs. By doing user research we can determine what is valuable for your customers before you start developing new products or do major redesigns.
Want to know more?
Please contact us for more information how we can help your business!