Initiative brings brands together online to collaborate on product innovations

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The ‘Collaborative Knowledge Partner Platform' is supported by a major piece of lifestyle research by Discovery Channel, funding by NESTA (The National Endowment for Science, technology and the Arts) and innovation consultancy Sense Worldwide, which will is overseeing and updating the research and coordinating a series of workshops.

The research will be shared with brands on a Web 2.0 platform, allowing them to collaborate using the consumer insight.

NESTA director Roland Harwood said: ‘This exciting initiative promises to deliver invaluable learnings around how consumer brands can cost-effectively work together on insight-driven collaborations'.

The first initiative to use the Collaborative Knowledge Partner Platform is 'Species' - a piece of research into the changing lifestyles of young men aged 25-39, which was commissioned by Discovery Channel and carried out by Sense Worldwide.

Drawing on responses from more than 10,000 young men across 15 European countries, the study used quantitative and qualitative research methods.

After the publication of Species, the insights derived from the study were kept up to date through Sense Worldwide's editable Web 2.0 platform FYI. The resulting online knowledge base is of particular interest to complimentary third party brands also targeting this demographic.

The Web 2.0 Platform makes the insight available to a select number of complementary brands who will add to the insight and create conversations around it. Sense Worldwide is hosting a series of face-to-face workshops with consumers and category experts where these Knowledge partners will set out to co-create product ideas and joint ventures between them.

‘With ten years experience of running co-creation projects with consumers and experts for our clients, engaging the client organisations themselves in meaningful collaborations like this is an exciting development,' said Nick Corston, Managing Director of Sense Worldwide and Project Director. ‘We're keen

to hear from any progressive brands who target this lucrative demographic and are interested in getting involved in the pilot stage of this project'.