This thesis examines the concepts of co-creation and marketing through a literature review and case study analysis. The literature review finds that while research into co-creation has grown since the 2000s, there are still gaps regarding its impact on business performance and the capabilities required of firms. The case study analyzes initiatives from companies like Spreadshirt and finds that co-creation activities are diversifying and becoming more sophisticated through the use of technology, with trends moving from standard to personalized value and involvement of customer communities. The implications are that firms should embrace multichannel co-creation approaches illustrated by best practices.

1. POLITENICO DI MILANO
Facoltà di Ingegneria dei Sistemi
POLO REGIONALE DI COMO
Master of Science in
Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering
CO-CREATION AND MARKETING:
A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES
Supervisor: Prof. Giuliano Noci – Politecnico di Milano
Assistant Supervisor: Eng. Lucio Lamberti – Politecnico di Milano
Co-supervisor: Prof. Paolo Neirotti – Politecnico di Torino
Master Graduation Thesis by: Thai Thi Thanh Binh
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2. CONTENT
BACKGROUND
1. BACKGROUND
2. OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVES
3. LITERATURE REVIEW
Methodology
Results
LITERATURE
Conclusions
REVIEW
4. CASE STUDY
Methodology
Results
CASE STUDY
Conclusions
5. MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
MANAGERIAL 6. LIMITATIONS
IMPLICATIONS
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

3. BACKGROUND – The concept choice
BACKGROUND
• What is co-creation
OBJECTIVES
• Why we have to study co-
creation
LITERATURE – Scholarly community
REVIEW
– Practice
CASE STUDY • Why companies are
interested in co-creation
MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS
• What are the problems of
approaching co-creation
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

4. OBJECTIVES OF THE THESIS
BACKGROUND
• Reviewing literature in
co-creation in general
OBJECTIVES
• Reviewing literature in
co-creation in marketing
LITERATURE
REVIEW
• Reviewing the relation
between ICT and co-
CASE STUDY creation
• Examining co-creation in
MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS practice with case
studies.
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

5. LITERATURE REVIEW - Methodology
BACKGROUND
• Objective: overview of significant
literature published on the topic to date
OBJECTIVES
• The review methodology
o References collection
LITERATURE
REVIEW o The constraints
o Reviewing process
o Organization
CASE STUDY
MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

6. LITERATURE REVIEW – Results in general
BACKGROUND
• Research and
Innovation
OBJECTIVES • Accounting and
Finance
LITERATURE
• Information System
REVIEW
• Supply chain and
Operation
CASE STUDY • Marketing
• Strategy and General
MANAGERIAL
Management
IMPLICATIONS
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

7. LITERATURE REVIEW – Results in marketing
• 3 phases The quiet evolution
BACKGROUND
o Issue/topic
The fragmented phaseContribution
(1980-1999), Stream/scholar Time
Co-creation Co creation marketing is one of the Customer centricity 2000
o The quiet evolution (2000-2003) phase
The fragmented
marketing consequences of customer centricity,
Issue/topic Contribution
o The booming phase (2004-now). Stream/scholar Time
OBJECTIVES advantage of co-creation marketing
Born of the Coin the term quot;prosumerquot; Alvin Toffler 1980
Co-creation in Focusing on customer value creating Relationship 2000
concept
relationship process marketing-
LITERATURE
REVIEW marketing Gronroos
Co- Bring back the concept to interest; Solveig 1996
Mass Mass customization as a form of co- Liechty, John 2001
production Customer involvement in production Wikström
customization creation using web-based as a platform &Ramaswamy
CASE STUDY process; the first to focus on consumer
Co-creation and User involvement as a form of co-creation Alam, I 2002
market
service orientation in B2B
MANAGERIAL
Co-creation
Co-creation and
Customer is part user involvement
Key elements of
of value creation Relationship 2003
Bendapudi, Leone
1998
IMPLICATIONS in process marketing- Evert
service orientation
Co-production
relationship Psychological Implications of customer Bendapudi, Leone
Gummesson 2003
participation in co-production
LIMITATIONS marketing
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

8. LITERATURE REVIEW – Results in marketing
The booming phase
BACKGROUND
• Co-creation in EDL
(Prahalad & Ramaswamy)
OBJECTIVES
• Co-creation and innovation
LITERATURE
• Cross-stream and • Managing the co-creation
REVIEW individual contributions process
2004 • Co-creation and branding
• Co-creation and the market
CASE STUDY
concept
• Co-creation in self service
• Transformation of CRM
MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS
• Co-creation in B2B
• ………………….
• Co-creation in SDL
LIMITATIONS (Vargo & Lusch)
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

9. LITERATURE REVIEW – Results in ICT – Co-creation
ICT
BACKGROUND Issue/topic Contribution Stream/scholar Time
ICT with co- ICT enables and foster innovation Solveig Wikström, prahalad & 1996-
creation Ramaswamy 2008
OBJECTIVES
Internet with co- Internet with mass customization, Liechty, John, Arun Sharma, Jagdish 2001-
creation co-marketing, co-creation N. Sheth, Venkat Ramaswamy 2008
experience
LITERATURE
REVIEW Internet for customer engagement in Nambisan, Mohanbir Sawhney, 2002-
product innovation, role of online Gianmario Verona, Emanuela 2007
and virtual customer environment, Prandelli, Robert A. Baron, Jordi
CASE STUDY Internet based collaboration Vilaseca Requena, Joan Torrent
mechanism and managerial Sellens and Ana Isabel Jime’nez
implication Zarco
MANAGERIAL
Multichannel co- Multichannel: opportunity and Prahalad & Ramaswamy, Scott A. 2004-
IMPLICATIONS
creation challenges for better co-creation Neslin, Venkatesh Shankar, JO 2008
Thomas, T Grandison
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

10. LITERATURE REVIEW – Conclusions
BACKGROUND
• Literature gaps and blanks
OBJECTIVES
o No clear conceptualization of co-creation marketing
o Lack of empirical research
o Lack of research on the impact of co-creation activities
LITERATURE in business performance
REVIEW
o Capabilities and antecedents to embrace co-creation
o Platform for collaboration between firm and customer in
CASE STUDY co-creation
o There should be better connection between literature and
practice.
MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

11. CASE STUDY – Methodology
• Cases collection
BACKGROUND
o Articles/books → host company /initiative website → internet
o Internet → host company /initiative website → internet: forum…
OBJECTIVES
• Structure
LITERATURE
REVIEW
• The constraints
CASE STUDY
o Lack of specific
information: result
MANAGERIAL o Other languages:
IMPLICATIONS Sweden, French…
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

12. CASE STUDY – Results: example of SPREADSHIRT
o Online platform for users
o Fast growing: > 250 employees
• The company:
to design, buy, sell
BACKGROUND • Co-creation activity : o 2009: 400,000 partners:
personalized apparels: 100
o Time: Samsung, Coca Cola, Chuck
items.
since 2002 Norris, The Guardian, CNN…;
OBJECTIVES
o Form of co-creation: >100,000 products designed by
o Users’ online shops:
community on website; 30,000
Open community ideation and determine and earn
new designs/ week.
LITERATURE product design and development commission on order
REVIEW
o Channels used: o1 through Spreadshirt. in 2008,
million t-shirts sold
Internet growth of 40%
CASE STUDY o Activities:
o Results: o Awards
o Similar cases:
MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS Zazzle, Cafepress, Ponoko,
Shapeways,
OriginalSnowboartArt.com
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

13. CO-MARKETING
CASE STUDY – Results NEW PRODUCT IDEATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
MASS
CUSTOMIZATION
BACKGROUND 70/ 30 cases
ONLINE
RESEARCH
COMMUNITY
OBJECTIVES
LITERATURE
1940 1990 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2000 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2009
REVIEW
PRODUCT FINISHING
CASE STUDY
MANAGERIAL o Diversified sectors
PERSONALIZED
IMPLICATIONS
o Active firms REAL TIME MARKETING
EXPERIENCE
AND SERVICE ADAPTATION
o Internet: important channel
CO-DESIGN
LIMITATIONS o Multichannel OPEN COMMUNITY IDEATION
AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

14. CASE STUDY – Results
BACKGROUND
OBJECTIVES • Personalized
& value locus
LITERATURE • Multichannel
REVIEW
• Diversified
CASE STUDY
•Sophisticated
MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

15. CASE STUDY – Conclusions
BACKGROUND
• Co-creation activities are getting more diversified and
sophisticated, enable by ICT.
OBJECTIVES
• The trends:
LITERATURE o Primitive customer involvement to co-creation with
REVIEW customer and customer community
o Standard customer value to personalized customer value
o Locus of value creation from within firm to within
CASE STUDY market and communities, pre- use to in-use, from R&D
to inside experience network
o One channel to multichannel
MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

16. MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
BACKGROUND • Overall picture of the evolution of co-creation concept in
literature and practice:
o Literature generated on the issue
OBJECTIVES
o How other firms use co-creation in the past and now
LITERATURE • Direction of co-creation in next practice
REVIEW
• How to embrace co-creation: form, scale, firm’s sector
CASE STUDY illustrated with best practices
• ICT as a powerful platform
MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

17. LIMITATIONS AND FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
BACKGROUND • Literature review
o Broad concept • Scope for specific interest
o Time constraint
OBJECTIVES
o Access to the material • More sources of material
resources
LITERATURE
REVIEW
• Longitudinal analysis
CASE STUDY • Case study
o Lack of information
MANAGERIAL
o One-side information • Field work with host
IMPLICATIONS o Cases collected from company and consumers.
secondary sources
LIMITATIONS
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh

18. THANK YOU!
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CO-CREATION AND MARKETING: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND CASE HISTORIES - Thai Thi Thanh Binh