Corporations are taking notice of the change and trying to take advantage of it in their brand marketing efforts.(image:Samsonite)
SEOUL, May 31 (Korea Bizwire) – The so-called “cre-sumers” are in vogue. A coined word combining letters borrowed from creative and consumer, cre-sumers are shaping up a new consumption culture.
In this new phenomenon, consumers are no longer those who passively take what’s given by manufacturers to them but make suggestions and actively organize themselves to create new uses out of existing products. They share information and experience with fellow consumers through blogs and social networking tools.
Corporations are taking notice of the shift and trying to take advantage of it in their brand marketing efforts. For example, food companies hold promotional events to look for new recipe ideas and hire amateur chefs to come up with new products. Fashion designers and IT companies also rely on customer feedbacks to find out untapped market needs.
One of such examples can be found in High Sierra, the outdoor bag brand. The company organized on May 9 a discussion forum with scores of college students interested in art and fashion invited to it.
The participants in the forum talked about styles that they want the company to come up with more while answering survey questions. The company will reflect the opinions on the day in the new items for the upcoming fall/winter season.
CJ CheilJedang, Korea’s largest food processor, also held a second-year special event in February to hire housewives who would collect data on food items in the market and visit restaurants for taste sampling.
The company has offered a similar program to housewives for years since 2003. Bon IF, the company specializing in franchises for porridges and lunchboxes, is also active in using cre-sumers to improve its product offerings.
The company has hired housewives twice a year since 2009 and put them to work as “Bon Manias” who would sample new menus and take part in a variety of marketing events.
Hanwha L&C, the supplier of flooring materials and windows, has invited housewife volunteers since 2010 to make recommendations on new products and comments on existing items. For example, the recently launched mat for babies “Colormate” and Korea’s first do-it-yourself floor covering brand “Hanwha She:um” are the direct outcomes of the use of cre-sumers.
Written by Sean Chung (schung10@koreabizwire.com)
Business (Follow us @Biznews_Korea)
