How can you get your target customers to conduct brand and product research for you?

Well, you could create a social media platform for them. This is what Unilever is trying to do with Mindbubble.co.uk.

The purpose of this “online collaboration community” is to encourage the target audience ― women ages 25 to 50 years― to give opinions and share ideas about the company’s brands and products, specifically Surf, Dove and Persil. Users create a profile on the website and are then contacted by Unilever to participate in different projects for which they receive cash rewards.

The projects cover various topics from product innovation to marketing strategy. Working on a project involves contributing to forums, blogs, polls, focus groups, and workshops. Babs Rangaiah, Unilever’s global communications planning director, explains: “It’s about getting into what people are interested in, what they are engaged in.” This “co-creation” website will let Unilever access significant amounts of useful information as well as fresh ideas. The company will also be reinforcing their commitment to their female target market.

It looks like Unilever has found a clever way to get advice directly from the consumers at which their products, communication, and strategy are aimed. At the same time, this will strengthen the brand in the eyes of the consumers, as customers should be more engaged with and loyal to brands and products they have worked for. It will be interesting to see the kind of products these women come up with, and whether or not they will be successful in the marketplace.