Preconditions for the diffusion of prosumption among firms: a case study approach

Prosumption refers to the firms’ tendency to allow their customers to participate in co-production and value co-creation processes. Based on a case study approach, this article proposes a set of four preconditions that firms should meet to succeed in adopting prosumption as a new marketing approach. These relate to: (1) the exploitation of a customer knowledge base that firms may accumulate through proper tools and techniques, (2) the creation of environments facilitating customer-firm interaction, (3) the persuasion of customers to accept and share firm values, and (4) the implementation of specific customer-centered marketing strategies. A content analysis was carried out on the corporate websites of five illustrative case studies. Results showed that firms adopting prosumption-based marketing strategies meet the four above-mentioned conditions. Theoretical and marketing implications are discussed.

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