We are all influenced in new ways
Control is out. Co-Creation is in!
In the past, companies assumed power and dictated to their customers in a controlling, one-way, linear relationship, which is no longer in fashion. Today, in the digital age, it is all about co-creation – an engaging, surprising and incredibly satisfying relationship - which some brands embrace and some do not. The withdrawal of the recent Motrin Mom ad campaign exemplifies the latter when it should have been the former.
James Cherkoff and Johnnie Moore discuss the rules of and value derived from co-creation. They develop and demonstrate the ideas and importance of relationships in the social world, specifically contributions, influence and relinquishing of control. They provide sixteen co-creation guidelines to keep in mind:
1. Yes, and: No crossing out the other person.
2. Make an offer: Let the customers talk.
3. Set the scene: Present a plausible promise.
4. Make your customers look good: Do so through a service or platform.
5. Create opportunity… to improve their lives in ways that they enjoy.
6. Play: Everyone is the subject and your brand is what they play with.
7. Understand the environment (or the cultural tone of the online space): Think conversation map.
8. Work at it: participation is hard work. You must work in a different way to get fulfilling results.
9. Love the 1%ers: They are more enthusiastic than you are.
10. Get the vernacular: Tone is vital. People make ongoing judgments. If they don’t like it, they will go elsewhere.
11. Make mistakes: They will happen so as long as you admit to and change them, you will be forgiven. To create relationships, you need to show vulnerability.
12. Lower barriers: start simple and add on. Make it as easy as possible for people to incorporate it into their daily lives.
13. Let the mess show: Transparency. Show more and they’ll trust more.
14. Share your secrets: You create more knowledge when you share it openly.
15. Be changed: Inside and outside the organization.
16. Show the humanity: It’s personal so show it.
17. There are no rules.
The Motrin Moms debacle a couple of weeks ago presents an excellent case study in the rules of social media and co-creation. As background, Johnson and Johnson launched an ad campaign, which targeted new mothers, but it made the act of baby wearing seem trendy and fashionable. It sent the blogging and Twittering Moms into a frenzy, demonstrating J&J’s first major mistake: not knowing their audience or its online strength. J&J panicked and immediately removed the ads. In doing so, they ignored the guidelines above and missed opportunities to come clean, admit their mistake, join the conversation to fix it, and keep the conversation up. They made their battle much harder by retreating rather than embracing the 1%ers.
No one said co-creation was easy. It’s so new and there’s much to be learned, but one thing is for sure: a brand should not throw the towel in as soon as the going gets tough. The groundswell isn't going away so neither should they.
James Cherkoff and Johnnie Moore discuss the rules of and value derived from co-creation. They develop and demonstrate the ideas and importance of relationships in the social world, specifically contributions, influence and relinquishing of control. They provide sixteen co-creation guidelines to keep in mind:
1. Yes, and: No crossing out the other person.
2. Make an offer: Let the customers talk.
3. Set the scene: Present a plausible promise.
4. Make your customers look good: Do so through a service or platform.
5. Create opportunity… to improve their lives in ways that they enjoy.
6. Play: Everyone is the subject and your brand is what they play with.
7. Understand the environment (or the cultural tone of the online space): Think conversation map.
8. Work at it: participation is hard work. You must work in a different way to get fulfilling results.
9. Love the 1%ers: They are more enthusiastic than you are.
10. Get the vernacular: Tone is vital. People make ongoing judgments. If they don’t like it, they will go elsewhere.
11. Make mistakes: They will happen so as long as you admit to and change them, you will be forgiven. To create relationships, you need to show vulnerability.
12. Lower barriers: start simple and add on. Make it as easy as possible for people to incorporate it into their daily lives.
13. Let the mess show: Transparency. Show more and they’ll trust more.
14. Share your secrets: You create more knowledge when you share it openly.
15. Be changed: Inside and outside the organization.
16. Show the humanity: It’s personal so show it.
17. There are no rules.
The Motrin Moms debacle a couple of weeks ago presents an excellent case study in the rules of social media and co-creation. As background, Johnson and Johnson launched an ad campaign, which targeted new mothers, but it made the act of baby wearing seem trendy and fashionable. It sent the blogging and Twittering Moms into a frenzy, demonstrating J&J’s first major mistake: not knowing their audience or its online strength. J&J panicked and immediately removed the ads. In doing so, they ignored the guidelines above and missed opportunities to come clean, admit their mistake, join the conversation to fix it, and keep the conversation up. They made their battle much harder by retreating rather than embracing the 1%ers.
No one said co-creation was easy. It’s so new and there’s much to be learned, but one thing is for sure: a brand should not throw the towel in as soon as the going gets tough. The groundswell isn't going away so neither should they.
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