From Social Media to Social Product Development: The Impact of Social Media on Co-Creation of Innovation

Die Unternehmung, Vol. 65, No. 1, 2012

22 Pages Posted: 23 Dec 2011

See all articles by Frank T. Piller

Frank T. Piller

RWTH Aachen University

Alexander Vossen

BI Norwegian Business School

Christoph Ihl

RWTH Aachen University, Technology and Innovation Management Group

Date Written: December 21, 2011

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to discuss the impact of social media on customer co-creation in the innovation process. Customer co-creation denotes an active, creative and social collaboration process between producers and customers (users), facilitated by a company, in the context of new product or service development. We propose a typology of co-creation activities in order to develop conceptual arguments how social media can impact the relationships among customers involved in co-creation as well as the relationship between customers and the hosting firm. Social media can make economic-exchange relations more collaborative and social, but interestingly may also turn relations formerly based on social-exchange into "money markets" with strong competition among actors. As a result, we develop a set of questions that can lead future research in these regards.

Keywords: Open innovation, co-creation, social media, social product development

JEL Classification: M11, M13, M31

Suggested Citation

Piller, Frank T. and Vossen, Alexander and Ihl, Christoph, From Social Media to Social Product Development: The Impact of Social Media on Co-Creation of Innovation (December 21, 2011). Die Unternehmung, Vol. 65, No. 1, 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1975523

Frank T. Piller (Contact Author)

RWTH Aachen University ( email )

TEMPLERGRABEN 64
AACHEN, D-52056
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://time.rwth-aachen.de/piller/

Alexander Vossen

BI Norwegian Business School ( email )

Nydalsveien 37
Oslo, 0442
Norway

Christoph Ihl

RWTH Aachen University, Technology and Innovation Management Group ( email )

Kackertstr. 15
Aachen, 52072
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.tim.rwth-aachen.de/ihl/

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