At a recent speaking engagement, a personal trainer shared that she had a large number of clients who had gone through bariatric surgery because of her personal history with the surgery. She didn’t set out to create that niche for herself; it just kind of happened. But now it’s an area she has chosen to focus on.
This is a common story for small businesses, and there’s a fancy word for it: brand co-creation.
What Is Brand Co-Creation?
When you set out to create a brand, you are working to control the message your company sends to the world about what you do, who you are, and who you serve.
But the reality is that you don’t have control over how that message is received. Your customers help create the brand, too — whether you like it or not.
And here’s the thing: you should like it!
This is part of the marketing process. You make a plan. You put it into action. Then you pay attention to the results and see what you need to change.
When you find your message resonates with an audience you didn’t expect or in a way you didn’t expect, you have a choice to make. You can either lean in because you found something that works — or you need to change your message.
What’s the right choice? That comes down to two main considerations.
First: you.
Is this what you want? Does it fit your vision for the business? Do you have the skillset (or desire to develop the skillset) to create a business to serve this audience?
Most often this audience is coming to you because you have a connection with them. You see them and get their needs. But sometimes business is coming your way and you know it’s not the right fit. And that’s okay!
Second and most important: the numbers.
Are you able to regularly turn a profit by serving this particular audience’s needs? If not, can you adapt your business model so it is profitable? Is this audience large enough to support the level of business growth you want?
This is a more common mismatch I see.
Small businesses see a particular audience getting excited about their idea. Unfortunately, that audience doesn’t have the budget to afford what the business would need to charge to reach profitability. Or that market is simply too small. Or it likes the idea… but when push comes to shove, it doesn’t want to pay for it.
If serving this audience’s needs is not sustainable, then it’s not the right move. Your marketing may work, but over time, your business won’t.
Co-Creation & Shiny Object Syndrome
It’s also important to talk about the dangers of co-creation. If you are constantly reacting to short-term feedback, this is not co-creation — that’s shiny object syndrome.
Co-creation means recognizing a pattern over time in how people respond to your brand, then deciding to incorporate that reaction intentionally. Shiny object syndrome is being uncertain about what you’re doing and chasing every opportunity that seems potentially viable.
If you’re making a major shift to your business or brand strategy, you need to recognize that this affects all aspects of your marketing and often operations. It’s not a decision to take lightly.
But if it’s a part of your “plan, implement, measure, repeat” marketing process, it can help you get a clearer hold of what your company is and help you grow faster.
