As customers become more informed, connected
and active, with the ability and motivation
to take control of their interactions with companies,
these companies must escape traditional
approaches of delivering products and services
that are based on a firm-centric view of value
creation. Experience co-creation breaks down the process through which customers create their own interactions with companies. It offers a practical starting point for tapping into the
new sources of competitive advantage
and
changing the rules of the game. This reconceptualization of the interaction process leads companies to new insights on how to redesign their customer contacts, thereby leading to an innovation process in touch with customer needs. More
The
new locus of value
Companies can no longer afford to push their traditional products
and services onto customers and hope to be rewarded simply because
they have found an effective way to utilize their scale and internal
competencies. Customers today are more knowledgeable and demanding
than ever before, thanks to the transparency created by the technologies
such as the Web, email and SMS. Instead, companies now must provide
a two-way process for dialogue and interaction with customers and
potential customers, to co-create a unique and different experience
every time. The points of interaction are where value now gets
created – not within the value chain that resides within
companies and their supply chains. Interaction is the new locus
of value, and experience co-creation is the new locus of competency
for firms today.
—Experience Co-Creation Partnership
Featured co-creative website: MyStarbucksIdea.com
Starbucks launched this website in March 2008 to crowdsource ideas for improvement. In the words of CEO Howard Schultz: "This is your invitation to help us transform the future of Starbucks with your ideas—and build upon our history of co-creating the Starbucks Experience together.
And just like in our stores, our curious and passionate Starbucks partners are here. Engaging in daily conversation—bringing the warm, human connection of a great Starbucks experience to this online community.
So, pull up a comfortable chair and participate in My Starbucks Idea. We’re here, we’re engaged, and we’re taking it seriously."
Featured co-creative website: Wal-Mart's CheckOutBlog.com
Wal-Mart set up this internal blog that turns the usual company perspective on its head. Check Out contains very personal commentary written by selected Wal-Mart employees, who don't hesitate to criticize the wares they sell and who sometimes reveal Wal-Mart policy, such as the company's recent decision to drop the HD DVD format in favor of the Blu-ray format. This blog represents a deepen- ing of the trend toward connected and informed consumers; instead of having to band together to get the truth about company operations, consumers can get the scoop directly from company employees. Earlier Wal-Mart blogs spoke with a corporate voice, but Check Out takes its inspiration from Robert Scoble's "Corporate Weblog Manifesto" — rule #1: Tell the truth.
Innovating with experience co-creation "...customer value is defined by experiences and not by products and services. The products and services may be important, but what truly matters is the experience we deliver to our customers as they consider the product and service options we offer.
"Further, the experience customers have comes from the interactions with us, not from our processes. The beauty of interactions is that they require co-creation, by their very nature. Because each interaction is unique, it cannot be staged or made predictable. However, our processes set the stage for the interaction and for experience co-creation.
"So, to start on this journey, consider opening up ONE customer facing process (e.g., call center, sales process, design, ...) to co-creation, and then the rest will follow."
— Flooring the Customer blog
The Experience Co-Creation Partnership provides workshops, executive
education and consulting services to disseminate experience co-creation
concepts and support their practitioners. We are committed to the
global application of ECC practice and travel extensively all over
the world. Typical engagements with companies start with an introductory
workshop and evolve into a combination of cascading workshops, coaching
and consulting interventions. Our primary role is to coach members
of the organization in the application of the experience co-creation
concepts and help companies migrate to the next practices of value
creation. More
Babson 2.0 Innovation Summit, March 17–18, Wellesley, Mass. – Francis Gouillart will lead a workshop on co-creation, offering attendees a hands-on experience and the analytical process for uncovering co-creation opportunities.
HD DVD format in favor of the Blu-ray format. This blog represents a deepen- ing of the trend toward connected and informed consumers; instead of having to band together to get the truth about company operations, consumers can get the scoop directly from company employees. Earlier Wal-Mart blogs spoke with a corporate voice, but Check Out takes its inspiration from Robert Scoble's "Corporate Weblog Manifesto" 
