It's how we live.

Three cheers for co-creativity! As 2011 draws to a close, we’re celebrating generating more than 100,000 ideas in The Collective, BBMG’s proprietary community of New Consumers. More than an exciting milestone, these 101,241 ideas (to be exact) are powerful proof that we’re living in The Age of Co-Creativity. Today’s New Consumers want more than products that are aligned with their needs and values; they want a real, open and collaborative dialogue with the brands in their lives and a voice in the decisions that can shape our shared future.

We’ve learned a lot from our daily conversations with these practical and purposeful shoppers—including a few surprises. (Think organic is the hottest trend in food and beverage among these most-influential consumers? Think again.) So what issues and brands were at the top of New Consumers’ minds in 2011? Here are just a few of the many highlights from the year’s past activities.

Collectivites praised Origins for its excellent products, USDA-certified organic ingredients and 100% natural essential oils.

1. Natural Beauty: Keep It Pretty Simple

• Efficacy: Even the most values-minded consumers want products that work. Efficacy and safety are price of entry.
• Ingredients: Almost equally important, consumers want—and are willing to pay a premium for—natural and non-toxic products with recognizable and straightforward ingredients.
• Certification: Trustmarks with mainstream appeal, like USDA Organic or Leaping Bunny, can influence purchase choices, but they’re more likely to be a value-add or differentiator rather than a core purchase driver.

Marissa in New York put it this way: “Bottom line: products have to work well. Finding quality products that work well and limit their impact on the environment—that’s a bonus and a great win-win.”

2. Food and Beverage: Health Trumps Organic

Lotus Foods offers high-quality heritage rice breeds that are sustainably and organically grown by small to mid-sized farms in developing countries; Collective members helped refined messaging and packaging concepts.

• Taste, Quality and Price: While organic can sway purchase decisions, New Consumers consider taste, quality and price above all else.
• Highlight Health: Though sustainable practices are certainly appealing, health remains a bigger purchase driver for many, highlighting opportunities for targeted communications to health-centered shoppers.
• Think Local: Even above certified organic, consumers are increasingly likely to buy local goods that directly support their communities. And, local produce has the added appeal of an actual connection with a real person.

Collective member mbal put it this way: “I prefer to support producers with organic, biodynamic and sustainable growing practices. But those alone aren’t enough—quality and taste are critical.”

3. Social Causes: Beyond Stick-on Cause Marketing

• Lasting Impact: New Consumers are more interested in cause platforms that support and build infrastructure than one-off charity projects or donations.
• Authenticity: Consumers favor brands that support or partner with causes that are true to their mission or identity. Pink buckets of fried chicken for breast cancer, while they may generate large donations, can create more skepticism than support.
• Transparency: When they get behind a cause, consumers want to know how they are making an impact – and track how their money is being used.

Collective members respond to making a lasting impact; for example, Heifer International helps families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways by offering them livestock and training as “living loans.”

Says WoodGrain: “I think supporting infrastructure is a fantastic alternative to just throwing money at a problem.”

4. Packaging: Thinking Outside the Box

• Less Is More: Extra, unnecessary packaging is a peeve: it’s annoying to dispose of, bad for the environment and gets in the way.
• Beyond Recycling: Making packages reusable and not just recyclable showcases creativity and drives consumer loyalty—they’ll get more out of buying your product.
• More Than a Box: Use packaging as a platform to tell a compelling brand or product story and to inspire education, engagement and social action.

Ecocradle’s styrofoam-looking packaging is actually made from biodegradable, compostable mushroom and seed fibers.

Sri put it like this: “One of my big pet peeves is boxes for electronics. First of all the box is way too big for the product and comes in an even bigger box with tons of things I don’t need. I like places that give me reusable containers and let me bring them back for discounted refills.”

For consumers, The Collective offers voice, creativity, influence and impact. A chance to connect with the brands and causes they care about. As user Damizelle says, “I love The Collective because I feel that I am contributing to improving my community’s experience of shopping and consumption.” For brands, it’s all about innovation, engagement and authenticity.

So, here’s to co-creativity: to hundreds of thousands of ideas still to come; and to better brands, products and experiences that benefit us all.

Additional reporting by Margaret Tung.