Big data has been promising a revolution in customer relationship management for several years. Nevertheless, only a few companies manage to benefit from the flood of information. With digital communities, crowd-creation opens the door to the target group.

With the advance of digitalization since the 1990s, the customer is increasingly becoming the proverbial open book for companies. Even unsolicited, consumers today express their opinions on products, brands and companies via social media and make no secret of what they criticize, expect, want and miss. At the same time, companies are in contact with customers on an unprecedented scale: It is not uncommon for companies to receive hundreds of inquiries and complaints every day by email and via hotlines, customers post on company profiles on social media or take part in surveys. All of these channels provide vast amounts of data that could be used to develop a clear picture of the target group and used for everything from product development to advertising.

Although more and more companies are becoming aware of the importance of big data, the data collected by many of them remains largely unused. One reason for this is the challenge of meaningfully evaluating often abstract data from a wide variety of sources and integrating it into processes. The use of company-owned digital communities presents itself here as a source of information that, on the one hand, provides insights in an easily usable form and, not least, in real time and, at the same time, represents a platform for interaction that can make a massive contribution to customer loyalty.

Success starts with listening - digital communities as a game changer in customer communication

With its own digital community, a company offers customers a platform for communicating with the company and exchanging ideas with other users. In addition to the practical benefits, the community enables identification with a brand or company. The community gives its members the feeling of an exclusive look "behind the scenes" and a special appreciation from the operator.

In return, the company gains a direct channel to the target group and the opportunity to incorporate direct feedback into strategic decisions. On the one hand, the company can observe the interaction of the community as an observer and, on the other hand, it can actively participate and obtain feedback from the members. To this end, surveys can be launched or discussions initiated with which the company can answer questions about the wishes and needs of the target group or opinions on specific products. This form of incorporating direct customer opinions pays off above all in the area of product development: direct customer feedback and the opportunity to ask customers about their preferences can be used to test and modify products during product development and even develop independent product ideas.

From feedback to innovation - the customer is the key, not the product

A company can develop specific strategies and structures for integrating customer feedback into product development on the basis of a digital community. The aim is to gradually gather relevant experiences from the community members and collect ideas, similar to a classic brainstorming session. Individual ideas can then be examined more closely and selected in an open discussion. Based on the knowledge gained in this way, companies can intervene in product development or even develop and shape innovative product ideas. By closely involving the community and reflecting the results of product development back to the community at an early stage, the community provides additional quality control through further feedback. At the same time, the community feels involved, which creates commitment to the future product, the brand and the company at an early stage.

Companies benefit sustainably from digital communities

For companies, the establishment and operation of a digital community is a win-win situation in many respects and an opportunity to strengthen their competitive position. As a source of information, the community offers spontaneous answers to questions about strategic decision-making. Where other methods of communication, such as traditional market and opinion research, require complex and costly projects to be planned and implemented, a company's own digital community is a permanently available pool of opinions, experiences and ideas. As a source of inspiration, it can independently initiate processes. Innovations that are created on the basis of and with the involvement of the community are already convincing in their development with optimal market proximity. Not least, this saves costs for product modifications based on customer feedback after the market launch and even prevents developments "bypassing the market". At the same time, the digital community is an additional channel for building customer relationships and is suitable for strengthening customer loyalty and building a brand.

Give and take - no success without professional community management

As diverse and sustainable as the possibilities are and as great as the potential of your own digital community is, the innovation driver is not available for free. Even if its operation proves to be more efficient and cost-effective than comparable measures of conventional target group analysis, some rules of the game must be observed and some effort made to establish, build and permanently operate a community in line with the goals associated with it.

Even if an active community quickly develops a life of its own through the members interacting in it, it is the task of the operators to control, moderate and maintain it.

Members must be actively involved and motivated if their input is to be used for product development. Regular surveys and polls are suitable measures for getting involved in the interaction. Communication should always be open and transparent, especially if you start with specific objectives. Members must not get the impression that they are being used as a one-sided source of information. Regular feedback makes members feel actively involved and valued.

crowd-creation uses digital technology to lay the foundations for active communities

As a community platform solution, crowd-creation offers companies a simple and uncomplicated way to start their own digital community with SocialBox. Based on the open source software Open Social and the content management system Drupal, SocialBox creates digital spaces in which members can network with each other, share knowledge, contribute opinions and work collaboratively.

With SocialBox, crowd-creation bundles knowledge, ideas and discussions in one digital place, offers opportunities to motivate members through playful elements and to involve them through communication and feedback, and makes the entire community knowledge visible and usable. As a result, SocialBox can become an important pillar of customer communication, innovation and the entire corporate culture.