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I create, you create, we all create – for whom?

Eric Kennedy (University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA)

Journal of Product & Brand Management

ISSN: 1061-0421

Article publication date: 20 March 2017

1934

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to propose that prompted co-creation from a brand to a consumer will increase the value of the consumer to the brand through an increase in brand commitment and purchase intention. Additionally, the study compares the differences of a social media post made by a brand and a social media post made by a celebrity who is endorsing the brand.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies were developed. First, a 2 × 2 between-subjects’ experimental design analyzes the effects of prompted and non-prompted co-creation posts by a fictitious brand and celebrity. Study 2 looks to confirm the results of Study 1 using a 2 × 2 between-subjects’ experimental design with a real brand and celebrity for the social media post. Co-creation, brand commitment and purchase intention are the dependent variables in both studies.

Findings

The studies reveal that a prompted co-creation post – which is a post explicitly asking for consumer feedback – from a brand can increase brand commitment and purchase intention from consumers. Also, the study reveals that, when compared to a celebrity-endorsed message, a branded message shows an increase in brand commitment and purchase intention. The results support the general notion of attribution theory.

Research limitations/implications

First, the study focused exclusively on millennial consumers. While this group has significant purchasing power, testing the effects of co-creation messages on a more generalizable sample is warranted. Next, the survey takes place in an online social media setting. With the power of social media and e-commerce, this channel is certainly important to study.

Practical implications

The results of this study bring the co-creation literature into a new area of research. Extending attachment theory and attribution theory into co-creation creates numerous opportunities to further grow the knowledge of the co-creation phenomena. The findings provide insight into the power that a prompted co-creation message can have on a consumer, either from a brand or celebrity endorser source. Practitioners can place a value on prompted and non-prompted co-creation messages originating with a brand. In addition, the research will give practitioners insight into how messages of co-creation are received by millennial consumers.

Originality/value

This research is the first of its kind for co-creation literature. No research to date examines the effect that a brand or celebrity-endorsed co-creation prompt has on the behavior of millennial consumers. Very little, if any, empirical research has been conducted on the co-creation of brand.

Keywords

Citation

Kennedy, E. (2017), "I create, you create, we all create – for whom?", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 68-79. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-01-2016-1078

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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