Engage Consumers Through Co-Creation

Co-creation is a proactive process of not only integrating consumers into a company’s development of products and the marketing of those products, but of providing a company with an up close and personal understanding of consumer wants and needs.

When brand managers, art directors and VPs of product development get out from behind that real or virtual research observation window and engage one-on-one with an actual consumer or group of consumers there is the opportunity for consumer connection, and connection sells brands, products and services. All of a sudden the internal team is looking at things through the consumer’s eyes, and becoming a consumer champion.

Successful co-creation requires commitment from each member of the company team – to stop multi-tasking (put away the iPhone and simultaneously working on a report for next week while half listening to the consumer. It requires commitment to be “in-the-moment” with the consumer and with other team members for the duration of the process.

Finally, successful co-creation depends on each internal team member:

Being Real – being what we are, entering into a relationship with a consumer or other team member without presenting a front or a façade

Prizing Another – prizing their feelings, their opinions, their person

Empathetic Understanding – the ability to understand another’s reactions from the inside, a sensitive awareness of how things seem to another

We all feel deeply appreciative when we are simply understood – not evaluated, not judged, simply understood from our own point of view.

There are many different co-creation processes. To view an overview of the process I often use click here.