Novel services for the publishing sector through co-creation with users

The traditional goods dominant logic is very much provider-centric. In case of publishers, the journalists produce content for a product such as newspaper. The product is delivered to consumers, who experience a newspaper service by reading the product. The service dominant logic shifts the focus from provider-centric to customer-centric. Hence companies need to focus in gathering and sustaining audiences, and developing their services not just for their readers but together with them. In this study we present three case studies, in which the publishers want to understand their readers expectations and needs towards new news services and develop the services together with the readers. Two of the case studies, show how to involve the users from the very beginning of the development all the way to the prototyping. Owela co-development platform was utilized in all cases. The study shows the importance of co-creation with users when developing new services. The loyalty and commitment to publishers brand increases, when the readers feel that their opinions are valued. The process increases the publishers understanding of readers expectations and needs and thus emphasize the users voice in the novel service under the development. Although the cases focus on publishers' digital news services, the same approach may be utilized in the development of physical products as well.