Examples of Consumer Empowerment

Alifa Zulaykha,  2301944891

 Examples of Consumer Empowerment

One example of consumer empowerment is done by LEGO. The company uses the “LEGO Ideas” platform for customers to select and design new products. Designs created by customers and selected by consumers with a specific amount of support (e.g., 10,000 endorsements) will be formally reviewed and designs that successfully pass those reviews will be realized and produced for sale worldwide.

Another example is Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways has a policy under which large musical instruments must be stored in the cargo hold, sometimes damaging them. In 2010, Jamie Oelhers suffered a $12,000 loss due to damage to his saxophone. He then set up a Facebook campaign for the airline to change the policy. Generally, if one person complains to the company, the company will make a letter of apology. However, more than 8,700 people including members of the country’s symphony orchestra participated by posting similar incidents and damaged musical instruments and saying they would boycott Qantas if the airline did not change its policy. Finally, Qantas announced that it would listen to consumers and in 2012 changed the policy by allowing musical instruments with hard boxes on board as long as they were within the airline’s length and weight restrictions. Alternatively, customers can buy a chair for a large musical instrument and carry it as a large item.

Reference

Pickles, O. A., & Puntoni, S. (2016). Customer empowerment in the digital age. Journal of Advertising Research,  56(1), 4-8.

Turban, E., King, D., Lee, J. K., Liang, T.-P., & Turban, D. (2012). Electronic Commerce: a Managerial and social Networks Perspective 2012. In Commerce A Managerial Perspective (5th ed.