PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the diverse strands that underpin the still emerging concept of co‐creation. The paper aims to suggest that there are alternative views rooted in psychotherapy, critical theory, software development and design that can help provide a richer understanding of the meaning of co‐creation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a general review of the field based on the literature and the different strands that comprise it.FindingsCo‐creation is often seen from a managerial perspective. In this general review of the concept, the authors demonstrate that co‐creation can also be seen from the perspective of consumers and other stakeholders. This also shifts the idea of co‐creation away from a strongly rational approach to one that is more spontaneous and playful.Practical implicationsThe review focuses primarily on consumers and how they can be encouraged to collaborate with one another to meet their needs for socialisation and meaning making and how organizations can influence and use the insights of co‐creation.Originality/valueOver the past decade there has been a rapidly growing interest in co‐creation, but much of the research focuses on the creation and management of online communities. By recognising the antecedents of managerial co‐creation and its diverse heritage, it is possible to see the concept as a development of other practices. By drawing on these practices, it is possible to look at co‐creation in a new light.

Co-creation is a rapidly emerging area of research. However, there is a lack of understanding as to how organizations use co-creation to build relationships and generate value. How does participation emerge and what outcomes does it deliver? To generate insight into the co-creation process, we created an online brand community. Our findings show that people participate in a community because it offers them the chance to find fulfillment, to express their creativity, and to socialize. The findings have significant implications for marketing, branding, and research professionals because the research shows that managers have to see participants as integral to the brand.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

facing employees in particular, but it is the collective effort of the organisation that is important, for as Chenet et al . 4 suggest service delivery is a combination of culture, leadership, commitment, systems, tools and technology. It also indicates the value of entrainment 5 -where the organisation is focused on enhancing customer experience not via abstracted thinking, but through a union of interest based on a dynamic relationship. 6 This thinking extends the role of marketing by suggesting that its role should be not only to sense movement in the environment but also to shape the organisational response by connecting with other business functions and departments. One of the strands INTRODUCTIONMuch traditional marketing literature has a product and marketing communications-led approach to the idea of creating customer experience. Yet in most Western economies, it is services that predominate and consequently it is the other elements of customer -organisation interaction that are dominant in the formation of brand image. 1 It is employees and their ability to build relationships with customers that determine value. 2 The outside-in, insideout approach to brand building suggests the importance of aligning employees with the brand and in uncovering the meaning of the brand through participation. 3 This shows the value of customer-