“Actively engaging customers in a meaningful and creative way to inform the future direction of an organization is a powerful tactic.”
There is no doubting the changing nature of the relationship between customer and supplier. Modern technology, globalisation and changing lifestyles are all reasons why an organisation needs to respond to a new breed of confident and empowered customer.
But how far should this impact spread? There is a myriad of examples of organisations that have gone to extraordinary lengths to get closer to their customers. In terms of engaging them to help develop innovative new products or services, successes at Lego are often cited as a compelling argument for finding ways to tap into the creativity and insight of existing customers. BMW has found a way to collect the views and opinions of car enthusiasts and is using these to inform future commercial activities. Computer gaming giants have for many years benefited from being able to co-create products with computer-savvy youths.
So what have the most forward thinking organisations suggested are the key things to get right when engaging customers in informing the development of future products & services?
Attract the right customers
Don’t just use customers to validate your latest ideas on products or services, use them consistently and actively throughout the process. Consider carefully the type of customer you want to engage. Exceptional customers may make exceptional suggestions for exceptional products, but that is not always what you want or need. Even consider bringing in different types of customers at different times of the process, e.g. at the creating, validation or testing stages.
Effective engagement
Engage customers in a way that enables them to play their role as smoothly and effectively as possible. Whether this is via on-line customer communities as advocated by the likes of Kraft or Hallmark, or within creative customer/supplier workshops as run by Unilever, the key is to use emerging technology to create a mechanism that is fit for purpose for each situation. Customers will engage effectively, and continue to engage as they found the experience exciting, stimulating and fun.
Co-creation and not validation
Co-creation entails a much more intimate arrangement than the typical ‘focus group’ situation. However, to be successful customers need to be stretched, challenged and introduced to external insight to enable them to think beyond their existing frame of reference. Relying on what customers think they want when they have not explored the boundaries of what is possible could severely constrain their input. As Henry Ford so famously said, “If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted they would have said a faster horse”.
High profile celebrations
Celebrating successes, and making sure you are being seen to do so, is the best way of recognising contributions from customers. As Amazon have so clearly proved, customers are more than happy to provide their views and opinions free of charge, but they do like to see their names in lights in acknowledgement of their contribution.
Having a genuine ambition to actively engage customers in a meaningful and creative way to inform the future direction of an organisation has proved to be a powerful tactic. Furthermore, it is a key ingredient in creating a real customer-centric culture. But for every good example there are a hundred organisations where such thinking and activity is sadly missing. With a little discipline, coupled with a bold and imaginative approach, organisations have found a way to significantly bolster their innovation on the back of an insightful customer perspective.
