The document discusses how consumer collaboration can drive innovation. It notes that while business leaders traditionally believe consumers are not creative, the number of studies on co-creation has grown significantly in recent years. The document advocates treating consumers as team members by developing deep personal relationships with them over multiple interactions. It argues that everyone can be creative when given the right resources and challenges. Examples are given of how unreasonable time constraints on consumers led to breakthrough ideas. The document concludes by calling for a complete transformation from innovation created solely by experts to collaboration with consumers.

1. COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION
CAN CONSUMERS REALLY BE CREATIVE?

6. 20
60
60
60
90
100
110
160
170
220
270
340
400
550
630
800
1,070
1,410
1,770
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2,000
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Co-creation articles in Google Scholar

7. Where do the best ideas come from?
(according to business leaders, 2009)

15. “Consumers
aren’t
creative”
“They can
only help us
understand
the now”
“They’re
only useful
for insight”
“They can’t
help us come
up with new
ideas”
“They’re lazy
and
motivated by
money”
“They just
give you
compromised
groupthink” “They only tell
you what they
think you
want to hear”
“They’re only
good for
incremental
innovation”

18. “The
customer is
always a
co-creator
of value”

25. #1
RELATIONSHIPS ARE
THE SOURCE OF OUR
RESULTS

26. #1
RELATIONSHIPS ARE
THE SOURCE OF OUR
RESULTS
CONNECT: GET
DEEP & PERSONAL

27. WHATYOU
PUT IN
• Met them 3+ times
• Spent 15 hours with
them
• Delved into the
personal and
private, even when
it was ‘off topic’
WHATYOU
GET OUT
• Deeper effort and
commitment
• Less inhibition
• Increased
‘creativity’
• Increased
authenticitiy

28. #2
EVERYONE CAN BE
CREATIVE

29. #2
EVERYONE CAN BE
CREATIVE
UPSKILLL:
RESOURCEYOUR
CO-CREATORS

31. #3
BREAKTHROUGHS
COME FROM
UNREASONABLE
REQUESTS

32. #3
BREAKTHROUGHS
COME FROM
UNREASONABLE
REQUESTS
CHALLENGE:
EMBRACETHE
EXTREME

34. Norm was:
1 week
(maybe longer)
They said:
28 minutes
EE built:
24 hours

35. …we need to
think about
them as part of
our team &
treat them
accordingly

37. 300 consumers - “respondents” 300 collaborators - “team members”
Out of 10 million customers On top of your 30 person team

38. PROFESSIONAL
Finished
Fluent
Logical
Expert
Solutions
UNIVERSAL
Idealised
Authentic
Emotional
Everyday
Inspiration

39. Co-created solution:
Orange Clone vending machine
Launch solution:
Clone Phone insurance service
Insight: my phone’s my lifeline; content makesA phone MY phone
Solution pillars: SPEED, CONVENIENCE, REPLICATION

40. TO COMPLETELY TRANSFORM THE WAY COMPANIES INNOVATE
FROM “CREATED BY EXPERTS” TO “COLLABORATED WITH
CONSUMERS”
BY…
PROVING THAT THIS WAY OF INNOVATING LEADS TO FASTER
GROWTH