Our very drawn out top 10 of 2010 comes to its conclusion with Co-Creation. Now Co-Creation is something that is very close to Headbox’s heart, it is the process that our community is built around and it is what makes us a little bit different from everybody else.
Co-Creation is the act of involving people in the marketing process. So, rather than brands/companies telling people what they need and want, consumers get involved in the development of products / communications and influence what actually gets out there on the market. When we first started spreading the word about co-creation in 2007 it was still seen as a radical idea. People were rightly asking: why should/would brands alter the way they have successfully done business for years and years?
Well the answer is that people change; and if people change then brands need to change with them. We are no longer the consumers of 50 years ago who just passively absorbed brand and product communication without any thought. Today everyone is very brand aware, we know what is good, we know what is bad and we know how we want to be addressed. So if everyone has an opinion about brands and products in general, let’s incorporate them to make things better!
The reason why 2010 is different for co-creation is that the process is starting to become main-stream. Headbox no longer has to explain to brands what co-creation is, they know about it, they understand it and they are excited about it!
This year you are going to see more brands getting involved in co-creation, more co-created campaigns and ultimately more co-created products hitting the shelves. You as a consumer have the power to influence how brands interact with you, and Headbox wants to help you get involved in the marketing process.
In 2010 we are going to have more co-creation projects than ever before so whenever you see an opportunity, apply, apply, apply!
Below are some examples brands listening and co-creating with their consumers:
Lego letting you design your own set and potentially getting it published
Starbucks letting you have your say about their coffee empire
Vodaphone letting consumers come up with phone application ideas
Dell crowdsourcing and co-creating with their users