Abstract
New digital technologies not only support consumers in better fulfilling their own consumption needs but also enable them to create greater value for other consumers. These new consumer co-production activities, collectively referred to as the sharing economy, require firms to rethink their role in the marketing value creation process. Firms need to define new marketing actions that create value for consumers who are also co-producers. To address this challenge, we propose a two-layered conceptual framework of consumer co-production networks and the individual consumer production journeys therein. These concepts expand the traditional production model and consumer journey, respectively, explicitly taking into account consumer co-production activities. Within the framework, we draw on household production theory combined with insights from institutional design theory and consumer behavior research to analyze how marketing can support consumers’ co-production activities. We discuss the managerial and consumer welfare implications of our analysis and outline new opportunities for further research.
Highlights
With the uptake of digitization, technology is empowering consumers more than ever and putting them in charge of how they search, purchase, experience, and evaluate products (Labrecque et al 2013; Simonson and Rosen 2014; Thaler and Tucker 2013)
We propose that in consumer co-production networks, marketing should increasingly focus on developing new functions that can support consumers who are active as coproducers (Piskorski 2011; Ranjan and Read 2016; Ritzer and Jurgenson 2010)
In line with the commercial perspective on the sharing economy, we address those networks that are facilitated by digital technology provided by a firm, such as online matching platforms (Sundararajan 2016; Telles 2016)
Summary
With the uptake of digitization, technology is empowering consumers more than ever and putting them in charge of how they search, purchase, experience, and evaluate products (Labrecque et al 2013; Simonson and Rosen 2014; Thaler and Tucker 2013). Others have developed a broader conceptualization of the sharing economy that allows for a wider range of consumer co-production activities that include consumer services, for example, Uber, where consumers use their car to offer the service of driving others to certain destinations (Narasimhan et al 2018; Sundararajan 2016) Within this latter research stream, a number of authors have highlighted the role of digital technology and online matching platforms as key facilitators of the co-production of goods and services by consumers (Evans and Schmalensee 2016; Gansky 2010; Telles 2016). Well-known examples in another domain are Netflix and Spotify, who leverage consumers’ viewing and listening behavior to provide better recommendations to other consumers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
