ترجمه مقاله جوامع مصرف کننده آنلاین و ارزش آنها برای تولید کنندگان محصول - نشریه امرالد

Purpose – To explore an emerging area in internet practice that has implications for new product developers.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper integrates concepts including a range of recently published (1993-2004) theoretical works and ongoing case developments in internet practice.

Findings – Provides information and action approaches to new product developers that may increase the success and accuracy of resulting new products. Outlines the benefits of monitoring and participating in online consumer communities and offers practical suggestions for maximizing their value in the product development process.

Research limitations/implications – The theoretical concepts that form the foundation of the paper appear to have a significant application to the product development process but have not been tested empirically.

Practical implications – Uncovers a previously unrecognized source of direct consumer input and cooperation in the design and valuation of new products.

Originality/value – This paper describes the nature and application of online consumer communities to an important marketing process. It offers the potential of improving the success of new products in the marketplace reducing significant waste.

Introduction: the internet consumer

The internet has emerged as a truly global means of connecting individuals and organizations. Its nature allows continuous possibilities for transactions. In fact, consumers half a world away, across numerous time zones can engage in commerce with a few mouse clicks. It gives rise to some startling interactions. Now a consumer in Australia can order on Monday from a US-based server across the international date line on the previous day, Sunday. This illustrates one of the internet’s benefits: convenience. Users do not have to wait until normal business hours and that convenience enhances the internet’s commercial significance.

Internet spending is projected to continue its increase with business-to-business internet transactions representing the majority of commerce. Specifically, Forrester Research reported that business-to-business e-commerce increased from $406 billion in 2000 to a projected $1,823 billion in 2003. In contrast, the business-to-consumer figures increased from $64 billion in 2000 to a projected $144 billion in 2003. Despite business-to-consumer’s lower volume, the amounts are still staggering. What is interesting is the emergence of the last variation, consumer-to-consumer e-commerce. Online auction sites such as eBay are perhaps the most well known instance of the consumer-to-consumer phenomenon. eBay earned US$441.8 million in 2003, an increase of 77 percent over the previous year, and expects revenue of US$3 billion this year. With this rise in consumer acceptance of online trading, has come increased use of the internet to support the purchasing activity. Each of the decisions a buyer faces can be influenced by interactions with communities that are focused on the same product or service type in question. In particular, patient buyers (those who purchase products after making some comparisons) and analytical buyers (those who do substantial research) are increasingly likely to seek out online forums to assist in their purchasing decision. These range from general-purpose sites such as epinions.com to specialized sites dedicated to a segment of a market (for example, avsforum.com is focused on audio visual technologies), or even a specific product type.

Implications for new product development teams

Online communities offer new product developers a number of potential benefits. It must be emphasized that effective management is vital to realize those benefits. While there are a number of opportunities, they must be handled appropriately or the results will be disappointing.

New product developers should consider finding and sponsoring online discussion forums featuring topics of interest to their customers. The growing numbers of people who use the internet present a growing audience for many marketers. It offers the developer a chance to collect marketing information of significance. Such online communities will attract lead users who will be able to communicate their knowledge to others, including the sponsors. As a result, online communities of interest can provide specific new product ideas that come directly from knowledgeable users and should be accurate and representative. To be effective, the sponsor should refrain from too active and overt a role in an online community. If a sponsoring firm takes too active a role, it runs the risk of inhibiting discussion and the potential for valuable product information.