CLEMENCIANA MUKENGE & EVANS CHAPANGA

Abstract

Social media co-creation is currently gaining momentum worldwide as it permits transformation of original ideas into real products at a low cost. The aim of this contribution was to explore the prospects and challenges of social media in co-creation. It employed a qualitative research method which uses the interview technique to collect data. The study’s sample comprised of ten purposively selected marketing managers from ten companies in Zimbabwe. Guided by the theory of Diffusion of Innovations, thematic analysis was employed as a data analysis method. The results indicated that social media is generally perceived as a very useful strategy for marketing communication. However, despite its worldwide use in product co-creation, this initiative has not yet been adopted in Zimbabwe. The outcome of the study also showed that prospective benefits of social media co-creation include; customer engagement in innovation, generation of rich innovative ideas and reduced chances of product failure. However, it was established that, whereas social media product co-creation is attractive, certain challenges are foreseen; financial strain, hurdlesin monitoring and optimizing customer inputs, leakages of confidential information, clashes in innovative views and customer demands for property rights. Recommended is an urgent implementation of social media co-creation of products in Zimbabwe, so as to expedite the production of customer-oriented goods.

Key Words: Social Media; Co-Creation; Product; Innovations; Zimbabwe.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 12, No. 2, October 2020, pp. 104-115

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

About the authors

*    Clemenciana Mukenge is a PhD candidate in the Department of Linguistics, University of Zimbabwe, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. and a lecturer of Communication Skills in the same department. Her research interests are: HIV and AIDS Communication; New Media; Language and Media; and English as a Second Language.

*    Evans Chapanga is a PhD candidate in the University of Free State in South Africa, and a lecturer in the Department of Linguistics, University of Zimbabwe, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe. He has designed, developed, taught and examined academic and professional communication skills courses in various faculties of UZ, since his appointment in 2003. His research interests are generally within the broad area of linguistics, precisely text and discourse analysis.

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Article Citation

Mukenge, C. & Chapanga, E. (2020). Prospects and challenges of social media co-creation of products and services in Zimbabwe. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 12 (2): 104 – 115.