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The role of frames in a co-creation process

Filippa Säwe (Department of Service Management, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.)
Åsa Thelander (Department of Strategic Communication, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.)

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences

ISSN: 1756-669X

Article publication date: 16 November 2015

708

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the conditions for co-creation in a non-commercial context. The particular aim is to show how a co-creative activity is framed for the participants and the consequences of the frames for the values that are co-created in the process.

Design/methodology/approach

Goffman’s frame analysis is applied to investigate how co-creation is used as a marketing strategy where an art event is used as an engagement platform to involve citizens in creating visions for an urban renewal area. It is a qualitative study based on observations.

Findings

The taken-for-granted ideas of the active and creative consumer along with the focus in marketing research on the positive values achieved in a co-creative process are problematic in a public context. An unreflexive use of a co-creative strategy in a non-commercial setting and using art as an engagement platform, in combination with insufficient communication about the new framings, result in no-creation of value or even co-destruction of value.

Practical implications

Unclear definition of the situation for co-creation results in confusion about how to interact and how to create value. Such an outcome is highly problematic for a public organization. It is of major importance that citizens can identify and understand the type of activity. The authors argue that communication in well-defined phases of an event can facilitate desired acts of co-creation.

Originality/value

Value co-creation theory has been transferred between contexts, but there are few studies of what the transfer means in terms of consumer abilities to take part in the value creation process and its rules of engagement. This study demonstrates the difficulties of moving from theory to practice when the context changes from a commercial to a public participatory one. This opens for new research venues in value co-creation and marketing theory.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the help from Helsingborg Municipality, “Plattformen” Grant number 842/08 (Hbg).

Citation

Säwe, F. and Thelander, Å. (2015), "The role of frames in a co-creation process", International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, Vol. 7 No. 4, pp. 442-457. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQSS-04-2014-0026

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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