Thanks to advances in connected technology, the feedback loop between influencers, producers and consumers is closing. The traditional model saw top designers create catwalk collections, which were then distilled by high-street brands, and sold on in bulk to mainstream consumers. But now, thanks to social media, Kickstarter projects and 3D printers, we’re seeing both the wide dissemination of ideas and the exit of the middle man.
It’s a change in thinking that responds to our audience’s hunger to be part of the creative process. With 82% of respondents willing to spend more on personalised products, it’s perhaps unsurprising that they’re keen to be involved in personalisation. You’re removing material goods and physical things into the space of information, which means they become malleable This marks a tipping point between consumers and manufacturers – and the beginning of a wider co-creation trend. Tumblr is just one of the progressive brands to have launched a responsive platform. Its Creatrs Network aims to connect artists with agencies by licensing their content for ads and marketing. In effect, brands are paying their audience to create their content – a complete reversal of the usual process.
