“Revolutionizing Beauty Industry”: Co-Creation and Customer Engagement for Brand Image Development. Case Study Research of a Crowdsource-Driven Cosmetics Company Volition Beauty.

Abstract

Utilization of consumer participation is gaining importance in multiple sectors at a high pace. However, in the beauty industry, consumer engagement as a tool to drive innovation and support image creation is relatively new and rarely utilized. This qualitative content analysis study aimed to examine the case of Volition Beauty - the beauty brand which has built its product and communication strategies around concepts of crowdsourcing and consumer participation, to investigate its collaborative, innovation-based communication and engagement strategies in the digital media. The outcomes of thematic analysis conducted on Instagram and blog data showed direct communication strategies the company uses – co-creation incentives, insights into the co-creative process and promises behind crowdsourcing, as well as in-direct strategies – feeling of belonging, shared values, relevant products and revolutionizing the industry. The findings of the research not only contribute to the current knowledge about crowdsourcing and customer engagement but also deliver insights for the industry practitioners about applicable tools for differentiation and building engagement in the new media.