Collaborating with Brands to Produce Insightful Work
At Russell Herder, community collaboration has been at the core of developing insightful campaigns for the past 40 years, many of which have been supported by a carefully cultivated cocreation practice. Cocreation in marketing is a dynamic strategy that puts the client’s mission at the center of messaging and strategy. To accomplish this, RH collaborates with organizations in an exploration phase to determine the most effective ways to reach audiences. Cocreation can involve community listening sessions, one-on-one interviews and empowered engagement by consumers or the public to determine their wants and needs.
Particularly for community initiatives, cocreation allows RH to respect client and community perspectives while folding in the agency’s four decades of marketing experience.
As an example, the Minnesota Department of Health entrusted the RH team with the task of developing a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of opioids. The campaign was specifically targeted to youth, with a focus on American Indians and East Africans aged 14 to 18. RH organized a series of local listening sessions to engage these communities, including in-person sessions to gain deep insights.
During the sessions, 18 to 20 students learned about the opioids campaign, shared thoughts on fentanyl and drug use among their peers, reacted to creative concepts, brainstormed ideas and then helped execute those ideas. This initiative not only empowered youth — it inspired them to take an active role in shaping their own future.
Community engagement helped RH develop an online ecosystem that included TikTok videos featuring the kids themselves, a new landing page, social media posts, an educational toolkit, paid digital ads and more.
Cocreation is effective because it fosters collaboration with community members, stakeholders, and consumers to generate ideas, products or campaigns that resonate deeply with target audiences. By involving these groups in the creative process, organizations can tap into diverse perspectives, build stronger emotional connections, and ensure their messages are relevant and insightful.
Moreover, cocreation promotes a sense of ownership and trust among participants, which can lead to organic advocacy and improved campaign performance. Ultimately, cocreation is not just a strategy, but a bridge that connects each message with its intended community.
