{"id":37393,"date":"2016-02-11T10:33:11","date_gmt":"2016-02-11T10:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.buzzoole.com\/?p=37393"},"modified":"2018-05-29T12:56:14","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T10:56:14","slug":"the-role-of-co-creation-in-influence-and-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.buzzoole.com\/en\/business\/the-role-of-co-creation-in-influence-and-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"The Role of Co-Creation in Influence and Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Conventional advertising tactics, from celebrity endorsements to brand sponsorships, are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Especially for millennials, who have been inundated<\/a> with that sort of thing from the cradle, overt marketing tends to fall on deaf ears and desensitized eyes.<\/p>\n

That doesn’t mean that these audiences aren’t watching television, using cell phones, and staring at computer screens. It just means they’ve been conditioned to tune out most of what has passed for advertising in the last 30 years.<\/p>\n

And it’s tough to blame then, really. They want messaging and content that is relatable and that will speak to them on a more human and personal level. They want to hear from normal people about real relationships and authentic experiences. This is why it is important to talk about “co-creation”<\/em>\u00a0and how it impacts influencer marketing.<\/p>\n

From Influencer Marketing to Co-Creation<\/strong><\/p>\n

With celebrity endorsements, a company could pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to a famous actor to push a particular product or service. Influencer marketing goes beyond that by opening up the possibility of a real, creative partnership between people who are, in most cases, “average joes”<\/a>, and brands who have something of value to offer this kind of person.<\/p>\n

When these two groups form a relationship that is mutually beneficial and start making great content together, this is called co-creation. Brands that co-create campaigns with influencers are more capable of speaking to audiences that have moved beyond the reach of traditional advertising methods.<\/p>\n

If this sounds a lot like plain old influencer marketing, you are right. Co-creation can be seen as a type of influencer marketing, but co-creation is also another step forward.<\/strong> Co-creation embodies two core aspects of human nature: creativity and cooperation.<\/p>\n

The Collaborative Difference
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\nLet’s take a look at the difference between co-creation and other familiar approaches.<\/p>\n

In the old-style approach of celebrity sponsorship, a company pays a million dollars to promote so-and-so image of their brand to people. The celebrity isn’t involved in the process; they usually do what’s scripted and get paid. This doesn’t involve much creativity and it is only the semblance of cooperation.<\/p>\n

Co-creating campaigns with an influencer is another step toward authenticity. It typically means that a company recruits an individual with significant social media influence and works with them to create a campaign. Ideas, thoughts and briefs are exchanged. Below are some facets of co-creation:<\/p>\n

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Image source: Julian Stodda’s Learning Blog<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Money may be involved, but some influencers (enthusiasts mostly) even forgo monetary reimbursement when given the opportunity to co-create campaigns for their favorite brand. Influencer co-creation is mutually enriching, to be sure, but it transcends the unidirectional nature of tit-for-tat sponsorship contracts. It isn’t just a purchase of services, and more than money changes hands.<\/p>\n

Co-creation carries a variety of benefits for businesses, some of which are:<\/p>\n