Business Models Innovation through New Customer Roles: A Design-Driven Case Study

• Main Authors: Marco Pironti, Cabirio Cautela, Joannis Christodoulou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Niccolò Cusano University-Rome 2015-06-01
• Series: Symphonya
• Subjects: product design; business models innovation; customer engagement; design-intensive industries; global strategy
• Online Access: https://symphonya.unicusano.it/article/view/11202
• ISSN: 1593-0300; 1593-0319

Business models as relational devices governing transactions with the customers and stakeholders identify new rules of customer engagement and their impact on business model innovations in design-intensive industries. These industries, framed as the locus of "cultural innovation", see the customer as a product 'sense giver'. In this setting, new customer roles are explored through a case study based on a fast-growing company operating in the furniture sector. The case study highlights three main customer roles that impact business models: (i) the customer as a market bridge; (ii) the customer context as a company "showroom,"; (iii) the customer as an external company design lab.