Customer Co-Creation: 14 Top Examples to Fuel Your Co-Creation Process

A McKinsey study found that products developed with direct customer involvement are 20% more likely to succeed in the market. Co-creation has become a fundamental business tactic to unlock innovative ideas, reduce development risks, and build deeper customer relationships.

Innovating with customer input leads small and large companies to better fitting innovation, enhanced collaboration, and more effective service design by engaging stakeholders in idea generation, prototyping, and cultivating a collaborative culture.

In this article, we highlight 14 real-world examples, unpack the core principles behind successful open innovation initiatives, and explore how companies across industries are using digital tools to scale collaboration.

Whether you’re improving your innovation process or launching your first campaign, this guide will help you turn customers into creative partners by showing how co-creation creates value-driven experiences and outcomes.

Co-innovation can involve the entire organization, fostering a holistic culture of collaboration that extends beyond isolated teams.

Short answers and FAQs on customer co-creation

Understanding customer co-creation

Understanding customer co-creation starts with recognizing its role in today’s innovation landscape. By embedding customers into your design process, you tap into real user needs and drive meaningful collaboration. Creating new products with customers offers a fresh approach to innovation, encouraging companies to adopt new ways of thinking and working with their audiences' needs.

This customer-centered approach transforms how large companies and startups solve pain points. Leveraging expertise from both customers and internal teams in the innovation process ensures more targeted collaboration and innovative solutions.

What is customer co-creation, and what benefits does customer co-creation bring

Customer co-creation invites stakeholders, often end users, to contribute ideas, feedback, and prototypes. Through a structured process, you collect customer submissions via focus groups, surveys, or open innovation portals. This open innovation model leverages external sources alongside internal teams. It supports collaborative decision-making by involving stakeholders directly in shaping service solutions, leading to more user-centered and effective outcomes.

At its core, co-creation blurs the line between business and audience. Contributors help refine concepts, test prototypes, and validate the minimum viable products before launch. Engaging customers early in the process accelerates your product development cycle and perception.

Customer co-creation, first, boosts spending time and resource usage by reducing wasted R&D effort. You learn what works before investing heavily in research, manufacturing, or marketing.

Second, it enhances customer acceptance and satisfaction. Valuing customer input throughout the process demonstrates your commitment to their needs. When users see their feedback in the final product, loyalty and word-of-mouth grow.

Third, it fosters a culture of innovation across your business. Teams learn directly from customer insights and iterate faster on new concepts.

Finally, co-creation can uncover unexpected solutions to complex problems. Collaborative efforts with emerging designers or niche communities often yield breakthrough concepts.

What are the common obstacles in customer co-creation

The biggest challenges in innovating with customers are unclear objectives. Without a focused brief, submissions can be unfocused or unrealistic.

Another pain point is maintaining engagement. Participants may lose interest if feedback loops are slow or opaque.

Knowledge sharing, intellectual property, and confidentiality concerns about technologies can also arise. Clear guidelines on ownership and reward structures are essential.

Integrating open innovation submissions into the development process requires discipline. Teams must balance creative input with technology feasibility and business needs.

Innovation with customers should be approached as a collaborative problem-solving process, where stakeholders work together to address challenges and generate effective solutions.

By anticipating these pain points and designing a transparent, well-scoped innovation framework, you can harness customer creativity and drive lasting innovation.

14 company examples of successful co-creation processes

Manufacturing & engineering co-creation innovation

1. Bosch – Open Innovation Community

Bosch has embraced co-creation to stay ahead in the connected industry, home and smart appliance market. Through its open innovation community, the company invites customers to contribute feedback, feature requests, and product or service ideas.

These insights are collected via an online innovation portal and structured workshops, especially focused on usability, energy efficiency, and automation. A standout innovation success from this initiative was the implementation of gesture control technology in Bosch’s high-end kitchen appliances, a feature directly inspired by user input.

This co-creation approach helps Bosch align product development with real customer needs, reducing technology development risk and increasing satisfaction. This process not only improves efficiency but also creates new innovations and strengthens brand loyalty by turning users into collaborators.

2. Local Motors – Crowd‑Designed Vehicles

Local Motors took a radically different path from traditional carmaking companies by using an open-source model for vehicle development. The company built a platform where a global community of designers, engineers, and car enthusiasts could submit, discuss, and vote on new vehicle ideas.

One of their most iconic outcomes was the Rally Fighter, a co-created off-road vehicle designed and selected entirely by the community. Another milestone was the Strati, the world’s first 3D-printed electric car, developed and manufactured in record time using community input and local microfactories.

What makes Local Motors stand out is its ability to shorten the traditional automotive product development process while maintaining high levels of innovation and customization. Their community-driven model proved that even complex engineering challenges can be solved collaboratively, with impressive speed and creativity.

Consumer Goods & apparel co-creation innovation

3. NikeID – Custom Sneaker Experience

NikeID (now part of Nike By You) is a pioneering example of customer co-creation in consumer goods. The platform allows users to design their own sneakers, choosing materials, colors, sole types, and even adding personal inscriptions.

This experience empowers customers to become active participants in the productand service design process. Instead of offering a one-size-fits-all solution, Nike gives individuals creative control, turning personalization into a competitive advantage.

The success of NikeID lies not just in the volume of designs created, but in how it deepens emotional connection with the brand. Customers are more likely to purchase—and promote—a product they helped design. It’s a strong case of co-creation boosting both product desirability and customer loyalty.

4. Betabrand – Community-Powered Fashion

Betabrand has built its entire business model around co-creation. The fashion brand crowdsources ideas from its customer community, allowing users to submit, vote on, and even co-develop new apparel concepts.

A breakout success from this model was the “Dress Pant Yoga Pants” - a user-submitted idea that went viral after being validated by the community and quickly brought to market. Betabrand uses a lean, iterative development process, only producing items that reach a critical mass of support.

This approach drastically reduces inventory risk while fostering a strong sense of customer ownership and engagement. Betabrand’s community isn’t just buying clothes;  they’re shaping the product line. It’s a vivid example of how co-creation can lead to unexpected hits and sustainable innovation in fashion.

Luxury brands such as BMW and Accor also embrace co-creation, actively involving customers in the development of new offerings. These high-end companies demonstrate that even luxury brands use collaborative innovation to enhance customer engagement and stay ahead in the market.

Food & beverage co-creation innovation

5. Coca‑Cola Freestyle – On-the-Spot Flavor Creation

Coca‑Cola Freestyle machines revolutionized the beverage experience by letting customers mix their own drink combinations from 100+ flavor options. These touchscreen vending units are placed in restaurants, movie theaters, and convenience stores across the U.S. and globally.

Beyond novelty, the machines serve as a real-time co-creation platform. Each custom mix feeds into Coca‑Cola’s data systems, giving the company invaluable insights into evolving taste preferences. These analytics have directly influenced the development of new retail products, such as flavor extensions and regional offerings.

The Freestyle concept blends personalization, customer empowerment, and data-driven R&D. It’s a perfect example of how product customization can double as an innovation engine.

6. Xiaohongshu (China) – Consumer Co-Creation in Beauty

Xiaohongshu, also known as Little Red Book, is a social commerce app in China where consumers share lifestyle and product reviews. Beauty brands like Bobbi Brown, Fenty, and L’Oréal have leveraged this community to co-create products with Chinese users.

Customers don’t just review products, they influence namng, packaging, color choices, and even marketing messages. This deep engagement leads to hyper-local product success, as brands tailor offerings to consumer desires in near real time.

What makes Xiaohongshu stand out is the speed and authenticity of co-creation at scale. Instead of traditional focus groups, brands access millions of consumer insights directly from digital behavior and conversations. It’s co-creation embedded seamlessly into the customer journey.

Events like Milan Design Week have also become key platforms for brands to showcase co-created products and innovative collaborations. By participating in Milan Design Week, companies gain industry recognition, attract media attention, and highlight interactive installations or design competitions that result from co-creation efforts.

Mobility & automotive co-creation innovation

7. The Drivers Cooperative – Driver-Created Ride-Hailing Platform

The Drivers Cooperative is a standout example of co-creation in the service and mobility space. Founded and owned by drivers, the cooperative was created as an alternative to traditional ride-hailing services that often leave drivers with limited say and diminishing earnings.

Drivers collaborated directly in building the app, defining features they truly needed, such as transparent pricing, better earnings control, and fair governance policies. The result is a platform tailored to the real experiences of those behind the wheel.

Unlike large mobility platforms focused solely on user convenience, Drivers cooperative centers its innovation on the needs of its own workforce. This makes it a powerful example of bottom-up co-creation, where contributors are also the primary beneficiaries.

8. Pierer Innovation (KTM)

Pierer Innovation, parent company of motorcycle brands like KTM, Husqvarna, and GASGAS, has increasingly embraced co-creation to develop high-performance bikes tailored to niche rider communities. Through test rider programs, online feedback platforms, and direct engagement with motorsport enthusiasts, KTM actively integrates user insight into its innovation design process.

Professional and amateur riders are invited to test prototypes, suggest improvements, and shape feature development - especially in off-road and motocross segments. This feedback loop has contributed to KTM’s dominance in Dakar Rally wins and product refinement across performance tiers.

By involving its most passionate and technically informed users, Pierer Innovation ensures each release resonates with its core market. It’s co-creation with edge users—those who push the product to its limits, resulting in more competitive, credible innovations.

Tech & open-source co-creation innovation

9. Mozilla Firefox – Community-Driven Browser Development

Firefox is one of the best-known examples of open-source co-creation. Developed by Mozilla, the browser is shaped by thousands of global contributors (developers, testers, designers, and users) who submit code, report bugs, and propose new features.

The community has played a central role in everything from improving privacy settings to refining interface design. Major updates often reflect what users care about most, such as enhanced tracking protection or speed improvements.

What makes Firefox unique is how co-creation is baked into its DNA. The browser is not only free and open, it’s the product of collective effort and constant iteration. It proves that decentralized customer co-creation leads to a globally competitive product that rivals corporate giants.

The Interaction Design Foundation is recognized as the world's largest online design school and a leading resource for learning about co-creation and service design, offering authoritative courses and literature that underpin these practices.

Urban & participatory innovation approaches

10. Amsterdam’s “InChange” Program

Amsterdam InChange, formerly known as Amsterdam Smart City, is the open innovation platform for the Amsterdam region and beyond. A collaboration between governments, knowledge institutions, social organisations, and innovative companies, building a better future for all.

Retail & e-commerce co-creation innovation

11. Cafepress – Customer-Driven Product Design

Cafepress operates on a fully collaborative creative model where users are both designers and customers. Anyone can upload a design and apply it to products like mugs, T-shirts, bags, or home décor. Once live, items are available in the marketplace, where sales data effectively determines which ideas succeed.

Customers shape the catalogue through purchasing behavior - voting with their wallets. Popular designs rise to the top, while others quietly phase out. This model enables rapid testing of ideas with minimal risk and no upfront inventory.

By democratizing product creation, Cafepress empowers niche communities, hobbyists, and small creators to launch products and discover what resonates with real buyers. It's grassroots co-creation at commercial scale.

12. Etsy – Custom Co-Creation Between Buyers and Makers

Etsy is more than a marketplace, it’s a co-creation ecosystem. Buyers frequently request customizations directly from sellers, whether that’s engraving initials on jewelry, tweaking dimensions of home goods, or choosing fabric for handmade clothing.

Thousands of artisans offer built-in customization options on their product pages, and many go even further, working collaboratively with customers via messaging to co-create something truly unique.

This one-to-one co-creation relationship builds trust, deepens the buying experience, and often leads to repeat business. Etsy’s platform design, centered around flexibility and communication, makes it easy for small creators to become service partners with their customers.

Health & data innovation approaches

13. Midata (Switzerland) – Patient-Led Health Data Projects

Midata is a Swiss-based cooperative that enables patients to take control of their personal health data. Rather than leaving sensitive information in the hands of institutions, Midata invites individuals to co-create ethical, user-controlled data-sharing frameworks for clinical research.

Patients can decide how, when, and with whom their data is shared. The platform supports co-creation by involving citizens, medical professionals, and researchers in the design of transparent consent systems and secure digital infrastructures.

This model not only empowers individuals but also builds public trust in health innovation. By putting people at the center of data governance, Midata demonstrates how co-creation can lead to both scientific progress and stronger privacy protections.

Music & entertainment customer co-creation innovation

14. Run The Jewels – Fan-Directed Music Videos

Hip hop duo Run The Jewels took a bold approach to fan engagement by releasing raw footage of their performances and inviting fans to remix, edit, and direct their own music videos. This open-source video project turned traditional music production on its head.

Fans became collaborative creators, shaping the aesthetic, pacing, and message of the final product. Some of the best submissions were shared on the band’s official channels, blurring the line between audience and artist.

This initiative not only energized the fanbase but also produced a range of creative, grassroots interpretations of the band’s work. It’s a powerful example of how co-creation in entertainment can foster loyalty, creativity, and cultural participation.

Successful co-creation principles and setup

So, that’s an overview of fifteen companies that show how customer co-creation can lead to real-world innovation success. From custom motorcycles to crowdsourced music videos, the examples span industries and illustrate how creativity, open innovation, and technology combine to drive innovation. But what do these cases tell us about how to structure co-creation for maximum innovation impact?

Here are seven key principles that emerge across the board:

Innovative ideas come from targeted and specific co-creation campaigns

One of the strongest patterns across successful open innovation examples is the importance of focus. Companies like Bosch and Pierer didn’t just ask for “breakthrough ideas”, they defined specific problem-solving processes. Whether it was reducing energy consumption or designing regional flavor profiles, these challenges gave participants clarity and direction.

This specificity improves both the quality and feasibility of submitted ideas. When users understand the business context and constraints, they are more likely to propose innovative solutions that align with business strategy and can be integrated into the final product or service.

Successful co-creation rests on purposefully designed processes

Behind every effective co-creation initiative lies a clear structure. From idea submission to evaluation, the process must be designed to move ideas forward. Brands like Mozilla and Betabrand use transparent, repeatable workflows to manage everything from community feedback to development milestones.

Co-creation requires dedicated resources, time allocation, and alignment across teams. It’s not a one-off campaign; it’s a systematic approach to innovation that balances creativity with efficiency.

Customers experiencing full transparency co-create better

Participants are more engaged and more generous with their ideas when they know how those ideas will be used. Transparency about the selection process, rewards, and expected outcomes fosters trust. Platforms like Etsy and Run The Jewels show that customers are more willing to participate when the brand openly communicates each step.

This clarity improves the client experience, creates knowledge exchange, and turns occasional users into repeat collaborators.

Co-creation can generate innovative ideas beyond product innovation

Many companies start with co-creating physical products, but the potential extends far beyond. DHL and Drivers Cooperative have used co-creation to redesign business models, workflows, and even service offerings.

This shows that open innovation isn’t just for feature suggestions, it’s a powerful way to reimagine entire services and processes. With the right mindset, it becomes a long-term strategy for building value with your customers, not just for them.

Co-creation needs a digital platform to be effective

Today’s co-creation initiatives rely on scalable systems that support real-time collaboration, transparent knowledge sharing, and structured idea management. Without a digital platform, collecting, evaluating, and developing ideas across company departments or geographies becomes slow and fragmented.

Whether you’re using a dedicated crowdsourcing platform, a branded innovation hub, or integrated feedback loops in existing systems, the goal is the same: create a seamless space where ideas from internal and external sources can be captured, reviewed, and evolved.

Tools like forums, voting features, dashboards, and automated workflows are must-haves. They are essential for aligning resources, managing the innovation process, and maintaining momentum.

Successful co-creation means co-sharing open innovation wins

Truly successful co-creation goes hand-in-hand with open innovation. The best results happen when contributors (customers, employees, or partners) don’t just participate but are acknowledged and rewarded for their input.

Co-sharing means giving credit where it’s due, whether that’s through royalties, public recognition, or even co-branding opportunities. When participants see their input reflected in the final product, trust increases, and the client experience becomes deeper and more meaningful.

By visibly celebrating these contributions, companies build a culture of openness. This also encourages future collaboration and enhances the brand’s reputation as a company that listens, values co-creation, and acts on it.

Co-creation lasts beyond the innovation and builds loyal communities

The benefits of co-creation don’t end with a product launch. When brands continue engaging their open innovation communities after the initial innovation cycle, they build long-term loyalty and customer experience advantages.

Open innovation platforms like LEGO Ideas and Mozilla show how continuous engagement turns contributors into passionate advocates. This ongoing relationship nurtures a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem of creativity, where users are invested not just in what you create, but in how you evolve as a company.

Over time, these communities become powerful assets for providing early feedback, testing new ideas, and even defending your brand. Co-creation, when done right, is not just about building better products or services. It’s about building enduring relationships that fuel innovation again and again.

Start co-creating with your customers. Today, with the best co-creation software.

The ITONICS Innovation OS is the most powerful idea management software. ITONICS offers solutions for running successful internal idea campaigns or leveraging the knowledge of the crowd.

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ITONICS is the leading innovation software. Gartner mentions ITONICS as the only vendor for automated environmental scanning. Gartner also mentions ITONICS as a representative vendor for Innovation Management Tools such as Continuous Foresight, Trendspotting, Emerging Technology Radars, and Idea Management Tools.