Marketing is on the path of evolving to a Service-Dominant (S-D) Logic perspective. S-D Logic researchers have acknowledged that customers do not only receive value, they contribute to create value and subjectively assess it in use - a notion that challenge the logic of traditional marketing. In interaction, suppliers have the opportunity to reveal processes of customer value creation, and accordingly, align these with its own internal processes. From this perspective, the supplier is turned into a co-creator of value. This study investigates the potentials of value co-creation, through interaction, within the context of card game encounters, an activity originally developed for traditional marketing purposes. Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB has implemented the method of the card game, and is now in search for academic support to identify the actual potentials of interaction within these encounters. By drawing on a literature review compromising (1) a conceptual model presenting the functions of direct interaction as a merging of processes (Grönroos & Voima 2013), and (2) a processed-based framework for co-creation of value (Payne et al. 2008), a qualitative study was conducted to investigate Atlas Copco employees’ perception of how supplier representatives and customers engage in learning process by co-creating value. The study provides guidance of how the supplier, through direct interaction, engages in the learning process through keeping a customer-oriented dialogue. Supplier representatives’ product-specific knowledge is operative to the comprehension of customer processes. It is also decisive for the organizational learning outcome from card game encounters. Statistical customer research with all due respect, however, interaction is the key to forming value propositions supporting real value creation. The study suggest an identification of mechanism supporting supplier and customer learning processes and show how supplier actions may influence the levels of customer learning within the context of discrete interactions. It suggests that customers’ (1) cognitive ability are to be supported in information search, (2) emotions are to be supported by recognition and appreciation and (3) behavioral elements of value creation are to be supported through the sharing of knowledge and skills.

Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att få en djupare förståelse för produktplaceringsprocessen och därmed se vad produktplacering som marknadsföringskanal genererar till en film- och/eller tv-produktion. Utgångspunkten för att besvara syftet är värdeskapandeteorier tillsammans med en kvalitativ undersökning via intervjuer med sex personer inom produktplaceringsbranschen. Resultatet från undersökningen visade på att fördelarna med produktplacering är att den ger konsumenten en plattform att se en produkt eller ett varumärke i ett verklighetstroget sammanhang och därmed görs produktionen mer trovärdig. I ett större perspektiv genererar produktplacering mer än bara trovärdighet, den erbjuder ett nätverk med samarbetspartners, liksom ett värdeskapande genom kringliggande plattformar. / The purpose of this paper is to gain a deeper understanding of the product placement process and to see what a marketing channel such as product placement generates to a film and/or a television production. The starting point for answering the purpose of this paper is the value creation theories together with a qualitative survey through interviews with six people in the product placement industry. The results from the survey showed that the benefits of product placement are the contribution of a platform for consumers to see a product or a brand in a realistic context and thereby making a production more reliable. In a larger perspective, product placement generates more than just credibility, it offers a network of partners, as well as value creation through surrounding platforms.

Topic: Co-creation of experience Research gap: The number of papers focusing on customer involvement and customer experience has increased significantly in recent years. However, there is a lack of studies on how companies can use customer involvement for creating a better customer experience jointly with customers, which Prahalad & Ramaswamy (2000, 2003, 2004) refer to as the co-creation of experience. Purpose: By this paper we want to develop an understanding of how e-commerce companies can use customer involvement to create a superior online shopping experience. Theoretical basis of our paper: Customer involvement (e.g. von Hippel); experience co-creation (Prahalad & Ramaswamy) Methodology: We conducted in-depth interviews with nine Swedish, Norwegian and Chinese e-commerce companies from different industries to collect data on how they use customer involvement and/or co-creation. The interviews were semi-structured interviews which consisted mostly of open-ended questions. In order to be able to identify patterns and learn about the nature of how companies involve customers, a qualitative multi-case study design was used. Findings: The main findings are that some e-commerce companies have already realized the importance of the customer experience and also already involve their customers in various forms for co-creating experience. However, none of the companies completely fulfils the criteria of experience co-creation as defined in the theoretical articles by Prahalad & Ramaswamy (2000, 2003, 2004). Practical implications: E-commerce companies have many options to provide a better online shopping experience by involving customers as co-creators. Research limitations: Due to the sample size and the fact that a convenience sample was chosen, the results cannot be generalized. Originality/value: This study can provide insights into opportunities for the co-creation of experience in the case of e-commerce companies. Keywords: Customer involvement, Experience co-creation, Experience, E-commerce, Innovation community

Från slutet på 90- talet och åren framåt har ett paradigmskifte skett inom det strategiska tänkandet, nämligen Informationsteknik. Detta innebar helt nya möjligheter för företagen att skapa värden för kunden. Kunden är inte längre en mottagare och inte heller verksamhetens upphov, utan är nu i själva verket en medproducent som är med och utformar värdeskapandet. Co-creation är en väsentlig del för utvecklingen av nya produkter och tjänster där kunden får en allt mer central roll i den värdeskapande processen. Kloka företag utnyttjar denna innovativa kraft. Mindre kloka tar en stor risk i att inte göra det. Om detta är den nya trend som vi ser framför oss varför följer inte alla företag denna? Vi antar att ett hinder är att många företag inte vet på vilket sätt de ska släppa in kunden eller hur de ska få denne delaktig. Vårt syfte är därför att ge en ökad förståelse för fenomenet co-creation, hur företag och kunder tillsammans kan skapa ett ökat värde genom att företaget gör kunden till medproducent i värdeskapandet av ett nytt erbjudande på konsumentmarknaden. Vi har sett att Internetbaserade plattformar och communities är de vanligaste sätten för företagen att skapa co-creation med sina kunder. Det mest förekommande är att företagen låter kunderna komma med innovativa idéer och lösningar på en produkt eller tjänst för att sedan vara med och rösta fram bästa förslaget. Detta koncept ett ökat värde både för företaget i form av nya förslag, utbyte av erfarenheter och gratis input. Samtidigt får kunderna sina behov bättre tillgodosedda eftersom de är med och skapar erbjudandet och de får bistå med sin kreativitet och lösningsförmåga. Vi har sett att företagen vill få kunderna mer involverade och aktiva hos företaget för att skapa en närmare relation mellan parterna och i vissa fall öka tilliten mellan dessa och därför kan också det upplevda värdet av interaktionen mellan företag och kund bli högre. Vidare att företagen involverar kunderna för att de på ett mer precist sätt ska kunna veta vilka behov som finns hos kunderna och vad de efterfrågar för att tillfredsställa dessa behov. En viktig faktor för hur mycket kunderna kan engagera sig i värdeskapandet är i vilken utsträckning företagen förser sina kunder med information och verktyg för att göra det möjligt att skapa något. Från företagets sida blir resultatet ifrån co-creation enligt oss aldrig negativt då alternativet är att göra som man alltid har gjort. I vilken utsträckning de gör co-creation aktiviteter möjliga avgör vilket resultat kunden kan få ut ifrån samskapandet och förhoppningsvis är dessa aktiviteter så pass välutformade att resultatet leder till att behovet täcks och att företaget tillsammans med kunden får ut ett högre värde genom co-creation.

Service-Dominant (S-D) Logics are the basis of contemporary economic activities. Based on this concept, Information System department should transform its role from a technical supporter to a service provider. S-D Logics highlight the importance to build up a successful value-cocreated service systems. This implies that, in addition to technical capabilities and business knowledge, IS department should possess certain capabilities to collaborate with other functional departments to delivery maximum value. The purpose of this research is to explore possible collaborative capabilities that IS personnel should possess, besides the technical skills and business know-how. This research adopted exploratory case study method. Through in-depth interview with developers and users of three complex information system development(ISD) projects, a total of 14 collaborative capabilities that IS personnel need were identified. The relationships among those capabilities as well as their impacts on performance were also identified. Implications of the research results to practitioners and academia are also provided.

In prevalent concept of marketing, brand culture is a static identification, treated as corporate prerogative which removed from culture and consumers. Generally marketers regard it as an emotional part of branding or a result of a constant branding. Hence, the conventional marketing provides the tools or principles for managers or marketers to conduct branding such as 4P, 7P, Brand Equity Model, etc., to reach high and rapid market share. With growth of diverse business environment and consumer behavior, brands only have long and deep relationships with consumers are more possible to be iconic and sustainable. It attracts people to actively access and to interplay with brand rather than just receive message from brand. In this study, the brand culture is specifically pointed out and seen as marketing approach especially in those brands which consumers will access for purpose of self-expression through consuming. The five dimensions help readers to look upon the important aspects in brand culture and how it works actively in marketing approach. From three multiple-case study: Harley-Davidson, Coca Cola and IKEA, the result shows the strong brand culture can be generated by cultural marketing in which the co-creation is developed and kept in cultural discourses. At the end, brand culture as marketing approach is helpful to review whole marketing strategy in consumer¡¦s perspective and improve the possibilities of increasing value in whole value chain.

<p>The competition between organizations has become tougher due to the globalization of the market place. This case study has been conducted at Stilexo, which are situated in Skillingaryd. Stilexo is an aluminum die caster and is a part of the Alteams group. Within the Swedish market approximately half of the casted products used are imported and this is a trend that seems to be increasing. In order to stay competitive next to the foreign suppliers the Swedish manufactures needs to differentiate, the question is how? In order to find the answer to the question Thomke and Hippel (2002) argues that the suppliers must listen to their customer with the intention of finding the needs and wants of the customers.</p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to interpret how Stilexo can create higher customer value.</p><p>This thesis has been written with an interpretivistiv research position combined with an inductive approach. The research strategy used is a single case study strategy. A qualitative approach has been used with in-depth interviews of employees at Stilexo and of existing/potential customers to them.</p><p>Price, quality and the ability to deliver on time are parameters that</p><p>have to be fulfilled in order for a supplier to be qualified. If these parameters are reached there are other values that can make a supplier an order winner. The main finding is that the relationship between the supplier and the customer is very vital. A higher interaction between the two parties has the potential of increasing the customer value. Co-creation of new products is something that is mentioned as value adding that can be gained from higher interaction. Further on innovativeness, flexibility, technology, and that the supplier can handle the whole supply chain has also been identified as value adding activities.</p>

Given that companies such as Proctor & Gamble are saying that they expect to get more than half of their ideas from outside the organization, there is a surprising lack of published research on how to encourage more of those ideas to reach organizations. Within the service climate, a focus on customer orientation and customer engagement has been linked to helping organizations remain competitive. Encompassing all of the non-transactional customer behaviours that can affect an organization, discussions of customer engagement often include things such as word of mouth, advocacy, and co-creation, yet they often do not mention customer feedback. Word of mouth can only extend an organization’s promotional budget, whereas customer feedback, another piece of the customer engagement puzzle, has the power to impact innovation and improvements within an organization. As such, this study contributes to the understanding of the antecedents of customer feedback. A model is put forth combining the technology acceptance model, knowledge management, customer complaint behaviour, and the theory of planned behaviour, showing that the intention to provide feedback is affected by customer characteristics (attitude towards feedback, subjective norms), perceptions of the feedback process (perceived ease of feedback process, perceived usefulness of feedback), and organization perceptions (customer orientation and affective commitment). Altruism, gender, and perceived rewards associated with the feedback process did not affect the intention to provide feedback. / 2013-07

Baigiamuoju darbu atskleidžiama bendro vertės kūrimo koncepcijos svarba lojalumo formavimo kontekste bei pagrindžiama prielaida, kad bendras kūrimas gali sąlygoti klientų lojalumą įmonei. / Final work reveals the importance of concept of value co-creation in the context of the concept of loyalty formulation; and justifies that value co-creation can lead to customer loyalty.

Service organizations need to respond rapidly to both changes in the market and customer expectations. One way of accomplishing this is through service innovation enacted to achieve competitive advantage. This study applies a service-dominant logic (SDL) lens to describe how a service organization may achieve service innovation through value co-creation that is facilitated by agile distributed methods. Literature on value co-creation is somewhat limited; although a few studies have provided guidance on what is needed to achieve value co-creation, no study has yet presented how this might be achieved. Therefore, using a single-site case study in the context of a large service organization, this study examines how value is co-created and the role that agile distributed methods play in this process. This research seeks to contribute to practice by providing service organizations with recommendations for achieving value co-creation. It contributes to theory by advancing our understanding of value co-creation processes; moreover, by using the context of an SDL, it presents a framework that maps elements of service innovation to agile distributed practices.