Communicative Incentives in Consumer Innovation Brokering

A facilitated consumer innovation model is discussed from the innovation broker's viewpoint. Consumers are involved through consequent stages of the product or service innovation process. The customer innovation process and the role of the facilitator, the innovation broker, are discussed. Explicit contracting is applied to support commitment and clarify the rights of the participants. Innovator motivation is enhanced through offering and negotiating incentives. A framework theory for evaluation and management of communicative influences is presented. The proposed customer innovation process has been applied in trial cases. Case data is evaluated and interpreted against the framework of communicative influences. The framework proved useful to continue experimenting with the brokered customer innovation process.