This research elevates the consumer’s role in co-creation from inventing to playing a role in driving sales through the creation of a mismatch communication strategy. It suggests that to maximize adoption, especially among novice customers, companies need to understand the authentic creation narrative and combine it with their own persuasive message to create a motivation mismatch strategy.

1. From:From:
 Co-creation with consumers contributes to many creative
inventions and innovations: 78% of large companies use this
strategy
 Examples:
Co-Created Innovations
Wang, Noble, Dahl, and Park (2019)
Opal Nugget Ice Maker (Amount raised: $2.8 million)
Opal is an icemaker designed for the enthusiasts: people who drop by
their favorite restaurant on the weekend to pick up a bag of that special
soft ice or have googled “nugget ice maker for home” only to find that
home nugget ice makers start at $2000 - $3000. We’ve thought of
everything! Opal includes a reservoir large enough to contain the
meltwater from the ice bucket, just in case you don’t finish your ice
before it’s time to power down.

2. From:From:
Quirky
 Withdrew 70% of its 500-plus co-
created innovations because of
stagnant sales post-introduction
(Simon 2014)
Apple App Store
 80% of apps do not generate
enough revenue to survive for
more than a few months (Adjust
Report 2014; Apple Press 2014).
The adoption challenges of
co-created innovations
Wang, Noble, Dahl, and Park (2019)
High Failure Rate

3. From:From:
What we studied
Wang, Noble, Dahl, and Park (2019)
 Can companies increase the success rate of co-created innovations?
 How can companies leverage the “dual voices” of the company and
customer-inventor to tell the story of the innovation and increase its
adoption?
Our solution: Companies should use a communication strategy
that creates a mismatch between the inventor’s “authentic creation
narrative” and the firm-generated persuasive message

4. From:From:
 Combine customer and firm voices in promoting co-creations by
offering authentic creation narratives from the inventors’ real-life
stories with the traditional firm-generated persuasive messages
 The message should take into account the inventor’s underlying
motivation.
 Approach Motivation: motivations are driven by the desire for new possibilities,
features, benefits, etc. and positive outcomes.
Example: “Chris had a dream of being able to use all the outlets on a power strip,
even if they are all giant power bricks (transformers) adjacent to each other.
 Avoidance Motivation: motivations are driven by the need to avoid unpleasant
experiences and undesirable outcomes.
Example: “Chris often found himself in a situation that he can't use an outlet on a
power strip because a giant power brick (transformer) in the adjacent outlet is
blocking it.”
Communication recommendations (1/3)
Wang, Noble, Dahl, and Park (2019)

5. Approach-oriented (Match Strategy)
Starbucks Doubleshot Mexican Mocha---
what the world desires this winter. One sip
makes you embrace all the winter warmth
and joy
Avoidance-oriented (Mismatch Strategy)
Starbucks Doubleshot Mexican Mocha--
what the world can’t miss this winter. One
sip makes you say bye-bye to the winter
chill and blues
 Create a motivation mismatch between persuasive messages and authentic creation
narratives drives adoption of innovation.
From: Wang, Noble, Dahl, and Park (2019)
Communication recommendations (2/3)
Example: Starbucks® Doubleshot Energy Mexican Mocha Coffee Drink
“When I was little, my grandma told me that late night on those cold and gloomy winter days, an ideal drink is some good
Mexican hot chocolate, made with creamy chocolate, fresh cinnamon sticks, sugar, and steamy milk. It has the true cocoa
flavor that makes me embrace every winter...a bit sweeter than a regular chocolate mocha yet not as sweet as a white
mocha, but all delicious!!! One sip fuels me with all the winter warmth and energy I want. Suddenly, I enjoy winter like never
before. What if in honor of Mexican Chocolate, we create a Starbucks Mexican Mocha Coffee?”
Firm-Generated Persuasive Messages
Example of an Approach-Oriented Authentic Creation Narrative

6. From:From:
Results from Mismatch Strategy
56.10%
26.30%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Mismatch Match
AdoptionAdoption of Co-Created
Starbucks® Coffee Drink
Wang, Noble, Dahl, and Park (2019)

7. From:From: Wang, Noble, Dahl, and Park (2019)
Communication recommendations (3)
 Mismatch strategy works better for novice customers (23.1% higher adoption) vs.
expert customers (1.1% higher)
 Mismatch strategy leads to early takeoff of the product, which is critical to the
mass adoption of the innovation (10% more likely to takeoff)
ShakeW Zeus / Thor Bundle
Takeoff
Sep
0
50
100
150
200
250
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
month
units sold No
Takeoff
before
being
withdraw
0
5
10
15
20
Dec Jan Feb Mar
month
units sold
Mismatch Strategy Match Strategy
Zeus / Thor Bundle
No Takeoff
before
being
withdrawn
0
50
100
150
200
250
Dec Jan Feb Mar
month
units sold

8. From:From:
1) Uncover potential communication narratives associated with the
founder
2) Develop a mismatch communication strategy
3) Identify high and low expertise consumers through segmentation or
tracking consumer behaviors and use the mismatch strategy with low
expertise consumers.
 High expertise consumers may work in similar product industries and often act as opinion leaders, may
be leaders in providing product reviews/YouTube tutorials). Firms should consider using other strategies
to drive adoption among expert customers, such as offering product trial and reviews, or involving them
in to the early stage of innovation development.
Summary: Following the
development of a co-creation
Wang, Noble, Dahl, and Park (2019)