Human-Centered Innovation and Research Communities

05.06.21

When it comes to innovation, customer-centric organizations aim to infuse the human voice along the innovation journey. In reality, though, timelines, budgets, and internal demands can make it challenging. However, research communities can serve as the engine for ongoing listening and engagement – giving people an opportunity to become stakeholders in your future.

A growing number of clients are embracing the value of communities to optimize their innovation process. Whether they want to iterate on existing product ideas, probe on fuzzy front-end ideas, or gather feedback post launch, engaging people and giving them a stake in the process is providing big pay offs in efficiency and go-to-market strategies.

If you’re looking for ways to bolster your customer-centric innovation strategies, consider the benefits an innovation-focused research community can provide:

Innovation-centered research communities allow for flexibility to follow non-linear paths, enabling a continuous learning experience that enables agile and adaptive learning, engaging consumers throughout the innovation lifecycle.

Innovation-centered research community

For inspiration on ways to tap into a research community for innovation needs across the innovation lifecycle, consider:

Human-centered design and research communities comes to life in a myriad of ways. Here are just two stories of success:

While a nearly $20 billion global industry, chewing gum had lost its edge with the onset of alternative satisfiers. Our client sought to reverse this trend with a focus on one of its nostalgic brands. Engaging moms and their children in community activities allowed us to explore the importance of “fun” and “giving” in the category. Moms participated in targeted co-creation groups to uncover ways to make the brand highly relevant to them and their children’s life. This CPG giant launched new products as a result and saw an increase in sugar-free gum sales by 3.3%.

An international food services company embarked on an initiative to explore potential in the hot beverage category. Seeking white space opportunity to create niche experiences and offerings, and fill in coffee shop gaps, they had to identify and deeply understand their customers, particularly Millennials. By immersing with members in a virtual forum, we uncovered need states based on dayparts and gained the foresight necessary to build sustainable programs against. The insights were socialized via immersive assets to spark product and service innovation across intercontinental locations.

Learn more about Research Communities