Brand positioning Co Creation Workshops 

Co Creation is a core tool for Ruby Cha Cha. There is still much excitement in the research and advertising world when it comes to the social media power of online co creation. 

We can talk about it as online crowdsourcing where communities are an important and the concept is akin to social media marketing. 

Consumers are given a direct voice into decision-making and increase their engagement with the brand or marketing idea. In a world where advertising is now a “one-to-one-to-many” proposition, this is an important contribution. Yet, there’s something fundamentally missing with today’s crowdsourcing and online communities. 

There’s an artificial barrier that exists. That’s similar to the way a two-way mirror separates consumers and clients in a focus group setting. There’s no real intimacy, no real sharing, no real listening. You view, study and interact from a distance. 

As a result, true collaboration is lacking. The kind of collaboration that’s only possible when people get together, in-person, and work together to create something of value that works for everyone.  So whilst online co creation is a great tool but it is not the only hammer in the box. 

Wherever possible we need to bring consumers not only into the room, but into the space to share their thoughts collaboratively with the brand and innovation teams. 

Co-creation workshops open hearts and minds to new possibilities 

There is a very real, personal interaction that takes place in a co-creation workshop setting. 

People begin to see the world through a different lens. The shared understanding that develops energizes the room. Trust is created. Consumers and customers openly share their problems and ideas as brand managers and brand designers. Enthusiastically look for solutions they know will work and they believe they can commercialise. This new found trust adds speed, power and precision to the process. People feel like they’re being listened to and taken seriously as equal partners. 

Brands like Microsoft points to the eye-opening success they have had with in-person co-creation workshops.  

“Some of the most effective marketing solutions originate from real conversations with consumers”   

What companies like Microsoft and others are finding is that collaborating with customers in a face-to-face environment makes great things happen, quickly. 

The future belongs to brands that co-create with their customers

One of the most important questions that brands must continually answer in order to remain competitive is how they will build a unique relationship with their customers. Co-creation workshops provide that opportunity. They give brands, in this ever-changing world, a new ability to stay relevant and gain an advantage in the mind and the market. 

Ruby Cha Cha has a several techniques like Ruby Espresso and Brand Magic that specialises in meaningful co collaboration. It offers a speciality workshops centred on co-creation in innovation and brand development. 

Whilst behavioural economics is big and system 1 thinking is all the rage. We must not forget about the power of consumers to think and provide more than likes/dislikes. To be included in the development process and to help shape the future of a brand, product or service.  It is true that this type of collaboration is not for every consumer. We need people who can think, articulate needs and can work with concepts and raw ideas.  Specialty recruitment is needed and a step away from traditional thinking in research is required. 

The brand positioning strategy Co-Creation workshop

Designed to be conducted in advance of the Brand Positioning Workshop. Impactful workshops will engage customers and brand representatives in a collaborative session of mutual discovery and agreement around the category-specific issues and opportunities. It will have the greatest effect on brand positioning. 

Staying brand-neutral, this highly-facilitated workshop will involve the brand team as active participants as they imagine, work and strategize with their customers. 

The Brand Positioning Strategy Co-Creation workshop is organized into three major segments: 

The opening segment uses means-end laddering, creative visualization and guided imagery storytelling to help participants articulate, map and prioritize: 

• Customer motivations and associated personal values. 

• Category attributes and benefits (functional, experiential, emotional and self-expressive) that drive personal motivation and decision making. 

• Pain points, frustrations and related opportunities that represent the greatest opportunities for differentiation. 

The second segment focuses on an in-depth exploration of the imagery, associations, values and benefits connected with the sponsoring brand and the category’s competitive brands. 

• The workshop ends with a strategic co-creation session developing and prioritising the core components of brand differentiation for the sponsoring brand. 

At the end of the day brand marketers gain: 

• Powerfully in-depth insight. 
• Shared buy-in and consensus — adding speed, precision and power to positioning. 
• Energized sense of purpose and direction – a team ready to run. 

Ideal For:  The brand, marketing, research and advertising team responsible for brand positioning.
Participants:  Ideally, up to 10 brand team participants and 10 customers will attend the workshop. 

Deliverables: 

• Powerful insight and a shared buy-in on the brand positioning strategy elements that will form the basis for a market-differentiating brand position. 
• A comprehensive overview of findings. 

Timeframe:  1 full day workshop. Preparation and customer recruitment will take 2-3 weeks.
Outcomes:  Clarity and confidence in developing a market-differentiating brand position.