1. Understanding an mobilizing
the consumer 2.0
via communities
November 7, 2007
François Abiven
Emilie Labidoire

2. A new consumer is in power
• Consumer = actor -> he/she “acts”
in everything, even the news he/she
receives (netvibes)
• The offer’s customization
exacerbates individualities -> each
person “builds” his/her own style
Creation / creativity has become a key
factor in life
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3. A new relationship with brands
• The hierarchy is
rejected: a world of
peers and exchange
• The consumer also
wants to give (and not
just pay)
A consumer who has become an actor in his/her own
consumption, especially through belonging to a
community
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4. A challenge for consumer research
Knowing and meeting the new consumer:
… immersion,
… capturing ascending information
A new way of investigating the consumer:
involvement
…
A necessary change
that is rich in opportunities
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5. Mobilize the consumer by
1.
associating him with the
offer’s development
2. Understanding the consumer via
ad-hoc communities
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6. Co-design via a
collaborative
protocol

7. Virtual worlds are the ideal place for co-
design:
. Creativity
. Pleasure and sharing
. 3D modeling
=> A real opportunity for brands to
mobilize the new consumer
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8. Real Life brand versus the residents’ creativity
1. American Apparel tee-shirts
in Second Life
2. Examples of
models
designed by
the residents
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9.  Recruit creative residents who like to
express themselves and who are open to
novelty and to others
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10.  A two-week collaborative blog during
which the consumer’s imagination is
boosted and directed via a CREATIVE
BRIEF
In the
Each day, INPUT and STIMULI “Workshopsquot;
are introduced in the form of section, you can
stories, anecdotes, alternative access the
ideas, etc. different themes
launched by the
Repères team
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11.  Modeling the best routes on SL in the
form of mini-worlds
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12.  Evaluation of concepts via
“immersed” focus groups on Second
Life
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13. A prospective and interactive protocol
CREATIVE PHASE
8 product
innovations
on a low
involvement
market!
EVALUATION PHASE
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14. Exploratory test

15. A flexible, modular protocol
. Possible injection of
questions/thoughts at any time
. Spontaneous emulation
. Lasting exchanges
=> Drives more direct, more sincere and
collaborative communication between
consumers and brands
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16.  A dialogue blog to better identify the
target and watch it act and interact with
the concept(s)
Concept A
Concept B
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17.  Work more precisely on the themes and
the ideas that emerge:
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18. A live
innovation test:
Home Use Blog

19. Experience is essential for testing
innovation:
Strong
expectation
Interest decreases over time
Interaction,usage
1st week 2nd week Field time
 How to establish the product among the consumer's practices
 How does the adoption of a product evolve over time?
 How do consumers influence each other?
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20. Home Use
Blog (HUB)
Double immersion of the innovative
product:
In a community
In real life
blog
personal, specific
…
Direct, interactive follow-up
A team discussion forum between customer/institute
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21. Home Use
Blog (HUB)
In vivo analysis of the innovative product:
To…
• Detect insights, consumption usages,
• Uncover triggers and barriers to product ownership,
• Find out which positioning fits best (the product and the
brand)
• Identify possible improvements to be made to the formula
and/or the pack
• Suggest communication routes
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22. 1. Mobilize the consumer by
associating him/her to the offer’s
development
Understanding the
2.
consumer via ad-hoc
communities
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23. Federate marketing targets around
common centers of interest to think with
the consumer, to take the time to
dialogue…
Virtual mutual interest communities
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24. Interest in building a community around a
marketing target:
See the consumer evolve in his/her different spheres
of consumption and gain transversal understanding
of his/her mode of operation
 better identify a brand’s positioning and anchoring values
for this population
 understand its mode of integration into the consumer’s
overall life
 identify weaknesses, anticipate changes
 direct and optimize the offer, meet expectations
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25. CONTINUOUS: a place to know
the consumer
 Knowing this target, its aspirations, sensitivities
and lifestyle
 Monitoring it in everyday life, understanding its
mode of operation, motivations and usages
towards member brands
 Detecting insights
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26. AT THE REQUEST OF THE
MARKETING TEAMS:
a place for dialogue and
collaboration
 Making the target react quantitatively and/or
qualitatively to propositions, innovations,
concepts
 Associate it with thought if a question emerges
 Engage it in co-design
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27. In a word…

28. The emergence of social interaction
platforms and the popularity of this type of
communication among consumers drive:
 An approach of listening and dialogue
 A more sincere, more spontaneous
expression
 A new mode of “symmetric” dialogue: a
dialogue between equals
 A partnership with the consumer: thinking
together, co-designing…
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