Abstract
This paper aims at understanding the role of clients in the innovation of Creativity-
Intensive Business Services (CIBS), namely advertising services, to provide useful
managerial indications for the proactive management of the collaboration with clients
for the purpose of innovation. We adopt a multi-stage approach. Firstly, we propose a
conceptual multidimensional framework by combining three streams of research: a)
research on customer involvement in New Service Development; b) service
innovation studies with specific regard to CIBS; c) literature on business relationships
marketing. Secondly, we refine such framework through an exploratory qualitative
analysis based on a case study of a successful advertising agency. Thirdly, we
undertake a large-scale survey of European advertising agencies. Our preliminary
findings provide empirical evidence to the hidden and multidimensional nature of
CIBS' innovation, and contribute to advance the understanding of the concept of "soft
innovation" in creative services. Results also suggest that efforts to improve the
interaction and collaborative work practices with clients are conducive to changes in
other technological as well as non-technological dimensions. Moreover, the empirical
analysis provides indications on additional innovation enabling characteristics of
clients and on their potential roles as catalyst and co-developer of innovation.
Anno
2014
Tipo pubblicazione
Altri Autori
Masiello B., Marasco A., Izzo F., Amato U.