Co-creation: Why creators should be part of your product development team

Everyone—from marketers to social media users—loves creators. According to a Q1 2023 Sprout pulse survey, over two-thirds (79%) of marketers plan to spend up to 50% of their total social budget on content creators. Another 39% of marketers work with creators on a monthly basis. Digital content creators are reshaping brand strategy for the better.

But as social media’s influence moves from marketing departments to other business functions, it might be time to think about creators in the same light. Obviously, creators won’t ever man your customer care lines, but their in-depth knowledge of their communities (a.k.a. your potential customers) can come in handy. Creators already have their hands in sales with affiliate marketing. It might be time to think about integrating them into another key function of your business: product development.

What brands can accomplish with co-creation

Creators have platforms because they understand their audience. They know what their audience wants to see, what problems they’re facing and what stories are relevant to them. That foundational knowledge is the basis of product design and research.

Tapping into that knowledge source can be invaluable for brands. After all, an unfiltered comment section on a creator video will give you far better insight into your consumer than any formal survey or focus group ever could. In a world where businesses increasingly rely on social data, creators can provide qualitative insights to complement the quantitative results you get from social listening.

If you don’t take advantage of creator insights, they might do it themselves. Today’s marketing collaborator could easily become tomorrow’s competition. We’ve seen dozens of creators parlay their consumer insights, and existing customer base, into successful independent brands.

For example, creator Emma Chamberlain launched her own coffee company in 2020, garnering a $7 million Series A round in the process. Partnering with creators before they decide to go it alone can knock out potential competition before it emerges.

Case studies in successful co-creation

The idea of bringing creators to the product development table is new, but it’s not untested. We’ve seen successful collaborations across industries that bring value to both the company and the creator.

The Shutterfly Collective

Shutterfly, an online retailer specializing in personalized products, launched The Shutterfly Collective, a limited collection designed by influencers in July 2022. They paired popular creators like Brittany Broski, Chris Olsen, Serena Kerrigan and Elsa Majimbo with designers to create over 4,000 new designs for their customers. Shutterfly capitalized on these creators’ personal sense of style and knowledge of the customer to create captivating designs for their customizable products.

Don't wait! Get your hands on the Shutterfly Collective, featuring designs from Brittany Broski, Serena Kerrigan, Elsa Majimbo, Chris Olsen, & @spoonflower Independent Artists. This collection is ONLY available until August 23rd! https://t.co/tBY0R01SRt ✨ #ShutterflyCollective pic.twitter.com/NCKSVj84aI

— Shutterfly (@Shutterfly) August 9, 2022