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Consumers are harder to define, understand, and please than ever before, and most companies are struggling to adapt business models to capitalise on a new generation of co-creating consumers, according to a global study conducted by Ernst & Young.

The chameleon consumer has conflicting preferences and facets which need to be accommodated, says E&Y.

Welcome to the Heineken Concept Club, a ‘progressive’ pop-up club, set to be unveiled during Milan Design Week in April, writes Maria Stadtmueller. The Heineken Open Design Explorations Edition 1: The Club project offered 19 up-and-coming designers – from Milan, New York, Sao Paulo and Tokyo – an opportunity to showcase their takes on club design. The new venue is the conclusion of almost a year of collaboration between the emerging designers, the brand and more than 100 clubbers.

Nissan has launched a co-creation project on Facebook aiming to get consumers helping to design its next Z car. The crowdsourced vehicle – the 370Z Track Car – will comprise components chosen by enthusiasts, with the brand left to build the new machine, writes Steve Mullins.

“For the next few months, you’ll be helping us create the ultimate Z track car,” says the brand.

It’s been seven months since I joined Thinktank International as head of co-creation, and now’s a good time to look back and reflect on co-creation in 2011, says Konstantin Pinaev. There’s a bit of danger the next sentence is going to be quoted by Captain Obvious, but… 2011 really saw the rise of consumer power. Regular people play an increasingly important role in the world – whether it’s marketing, the Internet or politics.

But today there are three things which really stand out for me about 2011 and co-creation:

Japanese advertising agency ADK has partnered with cocreation outfit eYeka in Japan to tap into consumer-rooted creative ideas to help clients innovate their marketing and communications. “The duty of an agency is to embrace change before its clients do, so we have decided to take the lead with a new, open model where we integrate consumer ideas from [the] start to fuel creative ideas, to produce fresher campaigns that will truly resonate with audiences worldwide,” says Kenichiro Omori, head of the global business division, ADK.

Sony and the non-profit Forum For The Future are co-creating for sustainability with the Futurescapes initiative which aims to tap into the imaginations of Europeans to stimulate fresh thinking about what people’s lives might be like in 2025, writes Maria Stadtmueller. FutureScapes will encourage participants to share their thoughts and ideas using a variety of formats, including comment, visuals and participation at events.

Nokia has launched the 2012 Windows Phone Challenge, tasking students with developing socially conscious apps to solve the world’s toughest problems using technology. Apps solutions will be entered into the Microsoft Imagine Cup, and entrants can use the Nokia IdeasProject co-creation platform to brainstorm ideas.

Smart brands allow their advocates to evangelise them, influence connections, and provide critical feedback, says SapientNitro in its Insights 2012 report. “They build systems and tools to elevate their brand advocates and give them an even larger voice. By building and moderating these communities, brands have the opportunity to sit on a gold mine of insight and data that will not only drive their product and release strategy, but will potentially inform every aspect of their business,” says the marketing/design/tech agency.