Photo by "My Life Through A Lens" on Unsplash
In what is increasingly positive news about Tourism, we can finally start thinking about an upturn and coming back. And this gives us a new lease of life, a new motivation to start again, a hope for the future. But at the same time, it also gives us fears and insecurities, even some uncertainty about what we should do. So we remind you: you do not have to do everything yourself. On the contrary, the solution must be global. Even more than collaborating, we have to co-create. But then what is the difference?
Co-creation is a very broad concept, used in several areas and there is no certainty about its origin. This term started to have some relevance in an article published in Harvard Business Review, in the 2000s, entitled Co-Opting Customer Competence, written by C.K. Prahalad and Venkat Ramaswamy, who later wrote the book The Future of Competition: Co-Creating Unique Value With Customers. We were then starting to talk about co-creation. That is, 20 years ago. So why are we bringing this concept back to Tourism?
Because new realities require new paradigms and new ways of thinking. And in Tourism, we do not have that "new normality" that many talk about, but a reality with different premises, new demands, and even new stakeholders, or at least stakeholders with different positioning, as is the case of the tourist. The reality of Tourism as we once knew it has changed and companies have to adapt to new markets of supply and demand.
If on the supply side issues such as digital and sustainability are fundamental pillars, they are also crossed with a more demanding and more aware tourist, who wants not only to understand the impact of his stay but also to understand how he can collaborate with the communities that host him. And it is in this alignment of demand with supply that co-creation has a role to play:
Co-creation in customer understanding | Empathy
In an internal creation process, a company's professionals try to better understand what the consumer is looking for and to tailor their offer, optimising the results. In co-creation, however, external agents also participate in this process. In other words, we work on Empathy in understanding the real needs of customers. We create solutions that optimise the company's resources, guaranteeing better results and greater market satisfaction.
Talk to your clients. Try to understand how this last year has affected them. Doing a survey by questionnaires, or even interviews will give you a greater perception of reality. Involve all stakeholders in your takeover, in a collaborative co-creation.
Co-creation in offer innovation | Creativity
More than creating or taking back offers that are important for the company, you should listen to your customers, the market and be aware of your competitors. How has everything changed and how am I going to position my brand, company or offer in the face of a new reality. And in this offer, we include the performance of the teams, because the success of the service we deliver depends on them. How do your employees return? How do they feel? How do they feel about the company? Do they understand the present and the future?
Involve your employees in the take-back process. Let them share their ideas. Promote collaborative creation actions where everyone can be involved in the solutions. Sense of belonging.
Co-creation on community impact | Regeneration
Not contemplating sustainability in the recovery will not be an option. And more than sustainability, we will have to consider the impact we will have on the communities where we operate. This will be a concern for those who visit us and should also be yours, as a tourism agent. Involve "your neighbors" in the growth of your business. Share experiences and contribute to the distribution of wealth and the recovery of society as a whole. In a fairway. If you work together, everyone will win.
Assess the market around you and try to understand with whom you can create partnerships, with whom you can develop authentic experiences, how you can contribute to the local economy.
There is, however, a common denominator to all these forms of co-creation, People. PEOPLE must be part of the solution and not the problem, in a collaborative and creative process of sharing, embedded in a positive business culture that encourages participation and involvement of all.
This is how we invite you, before opening your doors, before returning to your workplace, to stop and think for a moment. Who is my customer? What are their real needs? How can I create a differentiating and authentic positioning that guarantees me success?
As you don't have to do everything yourself, we're here to help too...