WHAT is co-creation? Co-creation isn’t as hard as you may think and doesn’t necessarily require a large investment in resource.

It’s as simple as seeing. But sometimes (and we’re all guilty of this) we don’t see what’s staring us straight in the face!

Co-creation is about investing in relationships – our relationship to one another, customers, partners, our internal teams and creating meaningful products that deepen and re-enforce those relationships.

Still sound complicated? Think customer-made! Instead of creating products and services we think customers might want, let’s work with everyone we have a relationship with, understand their life, what works for them and what doesn’t.

Let’s directly engage them in the creation process. That doesn’t mean do-it-yourself or personalisation or customisation, as all of these actions take place after the core product is created. It is working on the blueprint together and making life-enhancing products.

There are lots of technology platforms that can help engagement.

Private online communities can bring all your audiences together in a co-creation and engagement space. So can social media channels like Facebook and LinkedIn, through which you can ask questions, share experiences and learn.

Electrolux has its DesignLab and P&G its Vocalpoint. Both are designed to engage, invigorate and enable the companies to create amazing products.

“These are global companies with deep pockets, how does that affect my small business?” I hear you saying. While deep customer insight and engagement in private online communities requires investment, you don’t need deep pockets to begin to learn from the people you have relationships with.

An IT company can spend time with their customers to observe them interacting and using the technology they’ve installed. They can see what works and what could improve the experience of their customer.

The value of this simple engagement is huge.

The customer is listened to, the IT company re-enforce the relationship with them and come away with feedback they can share with their suppliers and source solutions that would makes their customers life better. Win, win, win, simply because we listened and created a solution together.

In a fiercely competitive marketplace, the winners are those companies who keep their customers close to them.

:: Declan Metcalfe is marketing director of Stokesley-based Better Brand Agency