Co-creation and crowdsourcing are hot because companies see these social technologies as a tool to engage with consumers in new and innovative ways and at the same time benefit from their involvement in the design and development of products. In a recently published report, “US Consumers Are Willing Co-Creators,” Forrester Technographics® data shows that 61% of all US online adults are willing co-creators, and they are open to co-creating across a large range of industries.

But interest isn’t equally high across different consumer industries. Below, you’ll find a graphic showing the top five industries that consumers are interested in participating with for co-creation efforts.

Household technology products like PCs and TVs top the list, but CPG, home entertainment (i.e., movies and music), household appliances (i.e., washing machines and refrigerators), and small kitchen appliances follow closely. As usual, men and women have different interests: While women account for 51% of all willing co-creators, they account for a much greater share of the audience interested in co-creating with CPG companies and clothing, footwear, and small kitchen appliance manufacturers.

Companies thinking about implementing co-creation need to make sure the interaction will be appealing from the consumer's point of view, in terms of topic, incentive, and time commitment, to avoid the initiative backfiring.