Empowering Brands with Customer Integration Classi!cation, Bene!ts and Success Factors
Jörg Sesselmann · Student ID 330657 Berlin School of Economics and Law · International Marketing Management · WT 2012/13
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“Customer integration describes the combination of information and knowledge from the customer’s domain with internal
factors of the seller’s business as a precondition of value creation.”
Source: Reichwald and Piller, 2009. Interaktive Wertschöpfung, p.56
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Development Con!guration Production Marketing
Customer integration along the value creation process
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Development Con!guration Production Marketing
Customer integration along the value creation process
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Customer integration along the value creation process
Development Con!guration Production Marketing
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Development Con!guration Production Marketing
Customer integration along the value creation process
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Customer integration along the value creation process
Development Con!guration Production Marketing
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Benefits of customer integration from a product development’s perspective have been widely discussed:
• Increased efficiency and effectivity in the development process
• Reduction of product $ops
• Generation of new product ideas
• And many more
Source: Reichwald and Piller, 2009. Interaktive Wertschöpfung, p.6, 9
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But little research has been conducted on customer integration from a brand management’s perspective:
Examples of unaswered questions:
• Does customer integration affect brand performance criteria like awareness, image, purchase intention or loyalty?
• Which brands should use customer integration, which shouldn’t (considering their brand positioning and identity)?
• What are the preconditions that make customer integration a success for brand management?
Source: Reichwald and Piller, 2009. Interaktive Wertschöpfung, p.6, 9
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How can brands and brand management benefit from customer integration and which
are the corresponding success factors?
Research question:
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Research approach: Case study
Case study research is the intense, in-depth study of a speci!c individual or speci!c context or situation.
• Suitable for broad, holistic and detailed examination of a case in its real context
• Suitable to establish a !rsthand understanding of events
• Suitable for exploratory questions (why? how?)
Source: Yin, 2009. Case Study Research – Design and Methods
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Specifications of the case study research
Multiple-case study (2-4 cases)
• Contrasting brands, concepts, target groups and success levels
• Enhanced validity by replication of !ndings
Triangulation methodology
• Multiple sources per case for enhanced reliability (artifacts, interviews, articles, case studies, surveys)
Exploratory research • Development of a general theory based on existing research
• Validation and supplementation via case studies
Source: Yin, 2009. Case Study Research – Design and Methods
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Result: framework of benefits and success factors
E.g. design
E.g. configuration
…
Types of customer integration
Brand performance criteria
E.g. awareness
E.g. attitude
…
Success factors
E.g. brand fit
E.g. customer mindset
…
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Expert interviews needed!
I am now looking for industry expertes, willing to engage in a short expert interview in order to create a valid, insightful case study research.
• e interview takes 30 minutes only (phone/in person)
• You get the study results to support your project
• You help the research community and my graduation ;-)
Please contact me:
Jörg Sesselmann [email protected] +49179/3626051