3D printing and co-creation of value

A digital manufacturing method currently receiving much attention in both academic and popular press is additive manufacturing, more popularly known as 3D printing. Many firms are already utilising 3D printing technology as a flexible, low cost and efficient tool for prototyping. However, 3D printing has implications outside of manufacturing, as this technology has the capability to enable both retailers and consumers to design and produce new products, selecting materials in accordance with their expectations and demands. In addition, as 3D technology improves, consumers will be able to produce their own products from their homes, realising a democratisation of design and production – the so-called “Third Industrial Revolution”. Adapting to these new technologies and the resultant changes in consumer behaviour will in turn require new perspectives and practices in marketing. This paper examines the current state of the 3D printer industry and speculates on the impact this technology will have on co-creation of value within marketing strategies.