John Griffiths

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Main  Stage,  November  3,  2011   A  Presenta*on  from  the  Fes*val  of  NewMR  Main  Stage  –   November  3,  2011  

Co-creation That Takes Clients Seriously John Griffiths, Spring Research

Prepared for: newMR By: Spring Research Contact: 020 7428 7370

Co-creation That takes clients seriously

Presentation 9 November 2011

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK 2 Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

Thanks and a caveat •  Thanks to Anna Wills of Spring Research and Doug Dunn of Tuned in who talked through these issues with me •  Their opinion are not necessarily the ones I am sharing here •  This is part of an initiative to draw up a code for client participation to create an even playing field so that both client and customers can create as equals

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK 3 Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

What we’re covering

What

atio e r c is co

n?

ting? e e the m n i ld? s e t i f n e g i yin f cl ole o e pla

the r el th v s i e l t e Wha do w

How

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK 4 Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

What is Co-Creation?

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK 5 Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

Co-creation is..

•  When clients and customers collaborate to create new ideas and products •  Intermediaries may get involved but the market conversation is between the 2 main parties John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK 6 Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

The mind of the market “A market is a dialogue between the conscious and unconscious perceptions of those marketing products and those consuming them” Source: Gerald Zaltman: How Customers think marketers

consumers Conscious processes

Unconscious processes

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK 7 Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

What do we require of customer participants?

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in a word..

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK 9 Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

vulnerability and risk taking!

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 10Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

What do we expect of participants? •  •  •  •  •  •  • 

Joining in Curbing cynicism and negativity Making creative leaps Risking failure Sharing their life experiences Sharing professional expertise Co-operation with the creative process –  Being willing to give their ideas away –  Tolerating blocking and redirecting by facilitator and others •  No right of association with co-creators afterwards John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 11Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

What is the default setting for client participants?

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 12Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

Clients and co-creation •  Their reputation in their own organisation is based on their ability to judge and shape ideas.. •  Their own organisations may not always recognise or reward creativity and risk taking •  They’re paying.. So its up to them how involved they want to be •  And they’re busy people so don’t have the time for preparation that we require of other participants John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 13Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

But.. It takes two to co-create

We need them both! John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 14Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

The problem •  Mismatch between their expectations, confidence levels and willingness to participate •  Power relations are completely distorted •  There is a danger of lower engagement even refusal to participate ..unless we created some kind of basic social contract and preparation for the session

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 15Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

What are our obligations to those who create on our behalf? •  They’re not employees but do they have rights? –  A sounding board for the idea seeds of others –  an oven to bake amplify their own ideas?

Or is this a form of creative bonded labour? John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 16Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

Arguably they enjoy being part of a creative project •  We prepare them to do the best they can to minimise failure •  And we make co-creation an enjoyable activity IS THIS ENOUGH?

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 17Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

How do we level the playing field?

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 18Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

Pay each client who attends

It’s a contract with a creative person John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 19Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

How we motivate respondents (both kinds) •  Interesting tasks that teach them something about themselves •  Icebreaker exercises – to create group dynamics and “buy-in” to a novel kind of social group •  Use of space and time to maintain energy and rest periods for refreshing imagination •  Progress waypoints so they feel what they are doing matters and is valuable •  Treats/props including alcohol! •  Oh and the money too..

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 20Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

How we prepare participants (both kinds) •  Psychological profiling – what creative skills are you bringing? •  Pre-exercises so they immerse themselves in the problem •  Focus questions to smoke out assassins who haven’t bought into the group •  Focus questions to smoke out assassins/ negativees who haven’t bought into the group •  Break existing alliances and create new ones, or make use of existing friendships •  All parties need to participate •  All need to refrain from criticism •  There needs to be mutual respect John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 21Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

This should be seen as an opportunity to broker creative skills into client organisations

These tools can be used everywhere!

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 22Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

Are there hopeless cases? And what should we do then? •  If even in spite of briefing and preparation the client is not willing to participate as an equal then as intermediaries we need to confront the issue •  Revert the client to observer or expert witness – both honourable roles – but don’t call it co-creation..

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Q&A

John Griffiths Spring Research

Sue York NewMR

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 24Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

Thanks for listening

John Griffiths, Spring Research, UK Festival of NewMR 2011 - Session 3 25Schedule: 7:30am-9:00am (GMT)

Main  Stage,  November  3,  2011   A  Presenta*on  from  the  Fes*val  of  NewMR  Main  Stage  –   November  3,  2011  

Co-creation That Takes Clients Seriously John Griffiths, Spring Research