Co-Creation with Consumers: Suncare x Runner Project #2
2020.02.28
One of fibona's activities is "co-creation with consumers," in which researchers and consumers communicate directly with each other to develop products and solutions, utilizing S/PARK's facilities and contents.
The "Suncare x Runner Project" was a project to develop a prototype for a new suncare product together with consumers who run on a regular basis. Three researchers involved in suncare product development at Shiseido Global Innovation Center and five women representing consumers who run regularly in their daily lives gathered at S/PARK for discussions and a running program using the actual prototype. The workshop was held over two days.
★The previous article can be found here:
Co-Creation with Consumers: Suncare x Runner Project #1
In this issue, three researchers, Ujimoto, Iwami, and Nishi, who participated in the project, and fibona members Toyoda and Koga, who were in charge of planning the project, talk about their findings and impressions gained through the project.
First of all, how did the Suncare x Runner Project come about?
Toyoda:
The most distinctive feature of S/PARK is, of course, the facilities on the first and second floors where customers gather, but I believe that the greatest one is the large number of researchers under the same roof who are earnestly engaged in the development of cosmetic products daily. We have long been engaged in various customer-centered activities in our research and development, and we felt that the move to S/PARK was a great opportunity to further accelerate these activities. As a first step, we were considering whether there was anything we could do to encourage collaboration between our customers and researchers while taking advantage of the facilities and contents of S/PARK. We have been thinking about this and wondered if combining S/PARK Studio's running program with suncare product development would be a good match, with "sports" at the core of this project. This is how this project was launched.
Koga:
I joined Shiseido at the same time S/PARK was established, but I had been involved in consumer research and co-creation activities for a long time before that. What I have seen in such activities is that people who are doing the most research on products and working on the manufacturing site have difficulty in having opportunities to interact with customers. In developing cosmetics, Shiseido had been taking various measures to communicate with customers, such as asking customers to use our products and give us their opinions, and working together with them to dig deeper into the needs and concerns that exist in their daily lives. At S/PARK, which opened as an urban open laboratory, I believe that we must actively create more opportunities than ever for the researchers who are developing products to encounter customers in various ways. In this context, we would like to create a mechanism that allows customers to participate in the creation of products, rather than just using them.
What did you think when you first heard about this project?
Ujimoto:
I have been running track and field all my life, and I run regularly, and sun care is still essential when running. I have always wanted to create a sunscreen for runners someday. In addition, when I heard that we would be working with consumers, I was even more interested. When I was asked to join the project, I immediately said, "I'll do it.”
Iwami:
At first, I honestly could not imagine what it would be like, but it was a rare opportunity to meet consumers and have them evaluate our products directly, so I was intrigued. Also, I have been playing tennis for a long time, so I have always taken care to use sun care while playing sports. So, I thought it would be great if we could make something good with this project.
Nishi:
I am a regular runner, and last year I participated in my first full marathon. I think I was assigned to this project because of that, but I just joined the company this year, so I was very grateful to have the opportunity to interact with customers so quickly, and I thought it sounded like a lot of fun!
I think this was your first attempt. Did you have any concerns?
Ujimoto:
When communicating with consumers, I thought that there would be barriers since we were both meeting for the first time. I was a little worried about how to avoid a business-like interaction, since I had to ask them about various topics. However, when Iwami met with the consumers, they seemed to immediately open up, which I thought was amazing (laughs).
Iwami:
The consumers seemed to be close in age, and they were all female (laughs). I tried not to give the impression of being a "researcher." First of all, I tried to get to know them, and I was very active in the conversation.
Can you tell us about your efforts to communicate with consumers?
Iwami:
What kind of things are you interested in? What makes you happy? We talked a lot about things that have little to do with research. I asked them about their daily life, such as about their dog, while we were running because I was hoping to find out something unexpected from chatting with consumers. I felt that the distance between myself and consumers became much closer after I came back from the run. I realized that talking about trivial things could bring us closer together.
Ujimoto:
As I mentioned earlier, I was worried about how well I would be able to communicate with people I had never met before, so I wanted something that would be a conversation starter, a way to communicate without having to rely on words. So, I decided to incorporate a demonstration of an experiment into the workshop to explain the technology used in the production of the product.
Iwami:
When I tried it out, I realized that there was a big difference between having a demonstration and not having one at all. I was very happy to see how interested everyone seemed to be in the demonstration and how they reacted to it. Moreover, the fact that they saw the demonstration led to their subsequent evaluation of the product. I learned that it is very important to convey information in an easy-to-understand manner, and that the final evaluations are so different without it.
Between the first and second workshops with consumers, product prototypes and presentations were improved upon in one month. How did the three of you communicate with each other during this process?
Iwami:
In terms of the presentation, we tried to use positive phrasing as much as possible. In fact, when I presented a certain concept at the first workshop, one of the consumers commented, "the phrase of the effect was a little bit uncomfortable.” So, I tried to avoid making it sound uncomfortable by referring to the opinions, stories, and my own feelings. In the end, they still felt that it was a little uncomfortable though (laughs).
Ujimoto:
After all, it is difficult to communicate in words, isn't it? There are things that can and cannot be said due to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and other regulations, and if we put our intentions straight into words, they may sound a little weird or unnatural. Since I have always been in the work of conducting experiments and developing formulations, I had never done much in the way of communicating to the outside world, so I was keenly aware that "communicating is difficult.”
Ujimoto:
In addition, we researchers usually work individually more often than not in promoting our respective research themes and developing the products for which we are responsible. Of course, we communicate with related people and collaborate on related themes as necessary, but rather than discussing every step of the process, we often work individually toward our own goals. Therefore, it was a new experience for me to work on something while discussing a lot with other researchers, as was the case in this process.
Iwami:
Ujimoto and I are on the same team within the department, so we have sometimes to talk about, but Nishi and I are on different teams with different items to handle. I had never worked with someone from a different team before, so it was very fresh and fun. Also, there was only one month between the first and second workshops, so we had to concentrate hard under an atmosphere of "we have to get it done!”
Koga:
It was like a training camp (laughs).
Iwami:
That's right! Every day the three of us would say, "What should we do, what should we do?” It was a lot of fun, and I think it was a great experience.
Nishi:
There were several paths to the goal, but I am sure it would have been difficult to decide which path was best if I were alone. We discussed and chose the best one. In the end, we were able to come to a good decision, and I am very happy about that.
What were your impressions as you actually spent time with the consumers?
Nishi:
After the run, we, the researchers, along with the consumers, took a shower at the S/PARK Studio and used the same changing room. At that time, some of them were concerned about how dry their skin was after applying sunscreen and taking a shower. I tend to focus on my face when it comes to dryness, but I realized that some people are more concerned about their skin drying out on their bodies.
Iwami:
The same was true for the application of sunscreen. There were people who applied sunscreen to their bodies without using their palms. They thought it was a waste of sunscreen if they put it on their palms. This person may have applied sunscreen on his/her body with using their palm in an "unusual" situation such as a monitoring survey. By spending more time together in this workshop, we were able to get a glimpse into the "everyday" lives of consumers.
Will the discoveries and detailed insights gained through this project be reflected in future research and development?
Ujimoto:
I think it was a new discovery for me to know how to use them in real everyday life. Normally, we only know the "basic" usage and make our products accordingly.
Koga:
I feel that this time we have gained insight not only into the contents of the product, but also into its packaging. Surprisingly, many points were raised about the packaging. For example, "This is a bit old-fashioned, isn't it?” (laughs) Everyone expressed their opinions quite frankly.
Ujimoto:
Once we decided on what to make, we repeatedly fine-tuned the product, thinking, "Maybe we should make it a little more spreadable," or "Maybe we should make it less sticky," etc. I was surprised to learn that consumers are also sensitive to such "slight differences.” At the first workshop, I was told that they wanted the product to be more like this, and when I changed the usability and presented it at the second workshop, they commented, "Wow, it’s more spreadable now.” This reaffirmed for me the importance of making adjustments whenever possible.
Iwami:
I would like to pay more attention to how the products I am involved in are marketed and promoted, and with what kind of information. I want to care a little more about what happens after the product is made, not just when it is made. We thought "this is the appealing point" and made a presentation that best conveyed that point, but there were times when it was not expressed very well. It is not that the appealing points were not liked by consumers, but that they did not resonate with them. We can't really notice it unless we talk directly with them.
Nishi:
That's right. I felt that no matter how hard we tried to create something, there were parts that could not be conveyed to the audience. So, in addition to being aware of this in my daily research, I would like to actively participate in workshops and events like this one, so that I can talk with consumers. I believe that if the creator of a product has a place where they can communicate directly with the audience, the message will be conveyed more clearly. With S/PARK, I would be happy if more events like this were held in the future.
Please let us know if there is anything you would like to "try regarding this kind of theme" next time.
Ujimoto:
I would like to hold workshops like this one with professional athletes and ask them what kind of products they want. We would like to investigate more niche product needs.
Iwami:
This time, I started from a concept that had already been decided, so next time I would like to try showing one of my creations to a customer. I would like to see how customers react when I show them something that I thought was good. If there is another opportunity to meet them directly, as there was this time, I would like to try it. Not only do I want to receive feedback and improve the product itself, but I also want to use it as an opportunity to devise ways to appeal to consumers. I would like to think about how best to communicate to customers what I like and am interested in making. It would be interesting to think about such things.
Nishi:
I think the time frame will be a little longer, but I want to try to create something together from scratch. It may be more like creating a concept rather than a product, but I would like to pick up the consumer's voice of what kind of things they are looking for and explore what we can do for it. I would like to try such comprehensive manufacturing once.
Please tell us your feeling as members who planned this project.
Toyoda:
It was our first attempt to work together with ordinary consumers and researchers in the same place. The project proceeded without us knowing how much preparation and framework making we should do ourselves. The initiative of the three researchers who actively participated in the project was more than we had expected. They even incorporated their own demonstrations of experiments, and when they got stuck, they went to the S/PARK Beauty Bar to feel various samples while discussing the project. I got the impression that they were always thinking about how to maximize our output. I am impressed that they have been so proactive in this project in addition to their normal duties.
Koga:
There is one point that I think is most wonderful about the "Suncare x Runner Project.” That is that we are communicating through "products" and creating things together. We create a prototype of the product, use it together, and have a conversation while experiencing the same run together. I think it is very important to talk while using the same product at the same place. For example, the expression "squeaking" was used as feeling of product texture in the workshop. At that time, we were able to understand the same meaning because we were using the same thing at the same place. Another time, when the discussion among the researchers about what kind of fragrance would be good, temporarily stalled, we went to the S/PARK Beauty Bar and held a variety of products in our hands, and the discussion resumed again. I think there is a great deal of communication that can be enhanced by using products together.
What is your feeling after completing the project?
Ujimoto:
The first thing I would like to say is that it was fun. Our strength as researchers is that we can create something, so when we know that something like this is needed, we want to create it. And this time, it was even more fun because we were trying to develop a "sunscreen that runners want," which is a bit of a niche demand.
Iwami:
I feel it was great that we actually ran together. If we had just sat across from each other and talked, I don't think we would have gotten much closer. I don't think we would have talked about our dogs. I feel that when we are in the middle of a run, the atmosphere is somewhat relaxed. I feel that it becomes easier for people to open up to me. It was a very valuable experience for me to be able to create such a space together, where I could enjoy myself and I am sure the consumers could enjoy themselves as well. I also felt after this workshop that customers are looking at products in more detail than I had imagined. I often wonder in the lab something like “Can they find the subtle differences between the two products?” “Is this function really important?” "Is this language really conveying the message?" I was glad to be able to directly confirm things that I had been somewhat unsure of in the laboratory.
Nishi:
We were delighted that we were able to create products at S/PARK that were close to the real daily lives of the people who use them. Furthermore, I think we were able to make the most of the facility's features in creating our products, such as using the S/PARK Beauty Bar ourselves. We were also able to hear directly from customers, and generally had a lot of fun.
After completing this project, what kind of projects do you have in mind for the future?
Toyoda:
I believe that working together with customers to create products like this is one of the main reasons why the Shiseido Research Center moved here in the first place, and I would like to further develop the activities with customers that we have built up over the years and make them activities that can only be done here at S/PARK. Therefore, I would like to look back not only on the good parts, but also on the areas that need to be reworked and improved for the next time, so that we can properly preserve them as a new manufacturing process unique to S/PARK. We do not yet know what theme we will take up, but we would like to continue and develop it in some form or another.
Koga:
We have already received inquiries and consultations from people in other product development groups who have learned about this project, asking "How did you do that?” We will continue to work on this project through trial and error for a while, but we hope to systematize it a little more and make it a mechanism that can be implemented by other teams at any time.
Toyoda:
I think it would be ideal if the researchers could come and go between the first and second floors and the laboratory daily. I think this as the final form that would fully express the character of S/PARK. This project was the first step, and we would like to take it to the next level.
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