This paper introduces and empirically illustrates a pedagogical approach to teaching Public Relat... more This paper introduces and empirically illustrates a pedagogical approach to teaching Public Relations (PR) in higher education. The approach is based on the Communities of Practice theory (Wenger, 1998). Based on this theory and for the purposes of this paper, learning is perceived as (1) a participation in a practice of (2) a social community and (3) the understanding of this practice. The pedagogical approach to teaching PR entails the facilitation of these three elements. The approach is illustrated through a case study. The authors conducted an international undergraduate course to teach students how to conduct a social media campaign to raise engagement for social issues. Twenty students from Netherlands and Germany enrolled. The paper offers an integrated understanding of theory and practice (see Wenger, 1998, p. 48). It contrasts many current approaches in PR education, which tend to differentiate between PR theory and practice. PR educators are encouraged to facilitate an eq...
Rapid and constant development of technology and social media drive every-day changes in the reta... more Rapid and constant development of technology and social media drive every-day changes in the retail sector, modifying behaviour and power of consumers, whereby traditional brick and mortar stores are facing the risk to become obsolete. E-commerce and m-commerce offer to customer a more convenient, faster and easier way of shopping and the possibility to customize products and services to the individual needs of customers. There are different business models and tools for enhancing the on-line retail industry, which causes changes in the business of the whole retail sector, as well as in the micro and macro social and economic environment. One of consequences of increasing value of the on-line retail industry is a dropping number of customers shopping for products in brick and mortar stores in high streets and city centers. Brick and mortar retailers are exploring new ways to reach these lost shoppers. In this study an innovative application is researched that tries to bridge online ...
Purpose According to research, communication management has to be considered as a main factor in ... more Purpose According to research, communication management has to be considered as a main factor in the success of Local Energy Initiatives (LEIs). Successful initiatives realized the need for positive and constructive communication around energy issues. However, there is (to our knowledge) no research that focuses on the role of strategic communication strategies in activating citizens in private local initiatives to stimulate a common social cause. This research aims to fill this gap in knowledge. Design/ methodology/ approach The findings from six interviews with local initiatives were presented in two rounds of workshops to other initiatives. The findings from these workshops have broadened and supplemented initial insights. Findings The communication strategies of LEIs seem to generate support and activation for those involved in the energy transition process. Although LEIs have little institutional power, they activate enormous civic potential. The LEIs investigated do not appear to have a clear communication strategy on paper, but there are identifiable components that belong to such a strategy. Research limitations/ implications Although this research is based on a limited number of interviews in a geographically defined territory, it seems that investing in communication management seems to be one of the most important preconditions for success in the survival and growth of local initiatives. In successful
This paper introduces and empirically illustrates a pedagogical approach to teaching Public Relat... more This paper introduces and empirically illustrates a pedagogical approach to teaching Public Relations (PR) in higher education. The approach is based on the Communities of Practice theory (Wenger, 1998). Based on this theory and for the purposes of this paper, learning is perceived as (1) a participation in a practice of (2) a social community and (3) the understanding of this practice. The pedagogical approach to teaching PR entails the facilitation of these three elements. The pedagogical approach is illustrated through a case study. The authors conducted an international undergraduate course to teach students how to conduct a social media campaign to raise engagement for social issues. Twenty students from Netherlands and Germany enrolled. In this paper the authors first review the current understanding of teaching and learning PR practice in higher education by describing the complex relationship between theory and practice in PR education and the importance of learning students to work in an international working context. Then a pedagogical approach is described which is translated into a course design. This course design is implemented in the first semester of 2017/2018. In the second part of this paper this course is evaluated as a case study and the results of this case study are discussed in the closing section of this paper.
In this paper the stakeholder management of start-ups is explored. In research within the domain ... more In this paper the stakeholder management of start-ups is explored. In research within the domain of stakeholder theory the focus is mainly on established and larger firms. However it is interesting to explore the stakeholder management activities of start-ups, especially of start-ups who are challenging existing power relations within their business domain. How do these challengers deal with stakeholders? What strategies are they using? And how are the dynamics of stake-holder management changing as the start-ups grows from the initial start until they reach a certain level of maturity? In this paper this relatively unknown field of stakeholder management is explored.
Vandaag de dag is de binnenstad een belangrijke motor voor de stedelijke economie en een centrale... more Vandaag de dag is de binnenstad een belangrijke motor voor de stedelijke economie en een centrale blikvanger van de stad. Binnensteden worden geconfronteerd met diverse uitdagingen, die onder andere veroorzaakt worden door niet beheersbare macro-economische ontwikkelingen zoals de nanciële crisis, veranderend consumentengedrag (consumenten bestellen bijvoorbeeld hun producten steeds meer online). Dit heeft afnemende bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid, leegstand (met name Retail) en lage burgerparticipatie tot gevolg. Deze economische onzekerheden en technolo- gische vooruitgang leiden tot de noodzaak tot nieuwe overlevingsstrategieën. Door deze ontwikkelingen verandert de functie van de binnenstad steeds meer. Bezoekers gebrui- ken de binnenstad vaker als een ontmoetingsplaats. Naast de mogelijkheid om te winkelen zoeken bezoekers vermaak en ontspanning. De kracht van de binnenstad is dat bezoekers hier op hun gemak kunnen slenteren, winkelen en recreëren en daarnaast terecht kunnen voor unieke winkels en grotere formules. De Kenniskring Cocreatie en Klantbeleving van Windesheim is onlangs gestart met het project ‘Bruisende Binnensteden’. Het project richt zich op bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid in de regionale binnensteden. De afnemende bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid in veel binnensteden gaat ten koste van de vitaliteit van deze steden. Het meest zichtbaar is de afname van bedrijvigheid in de retailsector. Dit uit zich bijvoorbeeld in leegstand van winkelpanden, maar ook andere sectoren hebben het moeilijk. Denk daarbij aan lage burgerparticipatie. Regionale binnensteden lijken dan ook aan het begin van, soms zelfs al halverwege, een transformatieproces te staan, waarbij het proces van verval ‘sluipend, ongewis en ongestructureerd’ verloopt. Kenmerkend in de huidige situatie is dat stakeholders in binnensteden, vrijwel onafhankelijk van elkaar, strategieën en systemen ontwikkelen en implementeren om dit proces om te keren of een halt toe te roepen. Het besef elkaar nodig te hebben en samen te moeten werken lijkt te ontbreken. In dit project ligt daarom de focus op het stimuleren van samenwerking tussen de stakeholders: bewoners, bedrijven/investeerders, bezoekers en bestuurders. De kenniskring wil daarom een Living Lab inrichten om nieuwe (belevings)concepten en business- 79 modellen te ontwikkelen die helpen in de transformatie van het centrum als winkelcentrum naar zogenaamde ‘experience centres’.
Rapid and constant development of technology and social media drive everyday changes in the retai... more Rapid and constant development of technology and social media drive everyday changes in the retail sector, modifying behaviour and power of consumers, whereby traditional brick and mortar stores are facing the risk to become obsolete. E-commerce and m-commerce offer to customer a more convenient, faster and easier way of shopping and the possibility to customize products and services to the individual needs of customers. There are different business models and tools for enhancing the on-line retail industry, which causes changes in the business of the whole retail sector, as well as in the micro and macro social and economic environment. One of consequences of increasing value of the on-line retail industry is a dropping number of customers shopping for products in brick and mortar stores in high streets and city centers. Brick and mortar retailers are exploring new ways to reach these lost shoppers. In this study an innovative application is researched that tries to bridge online and in-store shopping with an online platform (website) and a smart-phone app. The aim of this platform and app is to enhance the local shopping experience by making the physical city centre available for smart-phones and tablets.
In Zwolle (the Netherlands) an innovative online and mobile application is developed. This applic... more In Zwolle (the Netherlands) an innovative online and mobile application is developed. This application tries to enhance the local shopping experience by bridging online and in-store shopping with an online platform (website) and a smartphone app and making the physical city centre available for smartphones and tablets. The total of combined shops in a city centre is turned into a mobile mall. By adding personalized features like same day delivery and e.g. a loyalty system the platform wants to impact the bottom line of inner city retailers. In this paper this application is evaluated for a city centre that faces the aforementioned retail challenges: Zwolle in the Netherlands. A panel-based living lab is used and the app and platform are evaluated through surveys, user interviews and focus group/co-creation sessions. In the focus group / co-creation sessions feedback of the users is captured (iterative) and this has lead to some modifications / alternations of the innovation. The first results of this evaluation study to validate and co-create this retail innovation are presented in this paper. The app appeals to the user in that its innovative character is appreciated. However the app is not working yet flawlessly and this influences the user acceptance of this platform negatively. Consumers experience a mismatch between the current service and their expectations instructions.
The social, cultural and economic developments of countries, cities and villages are strongly inf... more The social, cultural and economic developments of countries, cities and villages are strongly influenced in positive or negative ways by digital media developments. A negative example is the decline of the retail sector in city centres partly due to the growth of online shopping resulting in shop closures and declining viability of town centres. Clearly, the innovation power of SMEs and various efforts of social and cultural institutions are not sufficient to cope with these developments (Molenaar 2010). Retail Power aims to use a Living Labs approach to create an innovation platform that will contribute to the development of digital city centre concepts and business models that will help to transform town centres from shopping to experience centres. Starting in September 2013 Retail Power Labs are introduced in six city centres in the North en East of the Netherlands. In these labs students and faculty members of three universities work together with the town centre occupants (SMEs, social and cultural institutions, the municipality, and inhabitants) to co-create a viable city centre. A Retailpower lab is considered as an open innovation network where various other partners are invited to participate. In this paper we argue that this Living Lab approach is perfect environment for combining vocational education, applied research and retail innovation.
This paper introduces and empirically illustrates a pedagogical approach to teaching Public Relat... more This paper introduces and empirically illustrates a pedagogical approach to teaching Public Relations (PR) in higher education. The approach is based on the Communities of Practice theory (Wenger, 1998). Based on this theory and for the purposes of this paper, learning is perceived as (1) a participation in a practice of (2) a social community and (3) the understanding of this practice. The pedagogical approach to teaching PR entails the facilitation of these three elements. The approach is illustrated through a case study. The authors conducted an international undergraduate course to teach students how to conduct a social media campaign to raise engagement for social issues. Twenty students from Netherlands and Germany enrolled. The paper offers an integrated understanding of theory and practice (see Wenger, 1998, p. 48). It contrasts many current approaches in PR education, which tend to differentiate between PR theory and practice. PR educators are encouraged to facilitate an eq...
Rapid and constant development of technology and social media drive every-day changes in the reta... more Rapid and constant development of technology and social media drive every-day changes in the retail sector, modifying behaviour and power of consumers, whereby traditional brick and mortar stores are facing the risk to become obsolete. E-commerce and m-commerce offer to customer a more convenient, faster and easier way of shopping and the possibility to customize products and services to the individual needs of customers. There are different business models and tools for enhancing the on-line retail industry, which causes changes in the business of the whole retail sector, as well as in the micro and macro social and economic environment. One of consequences of increasing value of the on-line retail industry is a dropping number of customers shopping for products in brick and mortar stores in high streets and city centers. Brick and mortar retailers are exploring new ways to reach these lost shoppers. In this study an innovative application is researched that tries to bridge online ...
Purpose According to research, communication management has to be considered as a main factor in ... more Purpose According to research, communication management has to be considered as a main factor in the success of Local Energy Initiatives (LEIs). Successful initiatives realized the need for positive and constructive communication around energy issues. However, there is (to our knowledge) no research that focuses on the role of strategic communication strategies in activating citizens in private local initiatives to stimulate a common social cause. This research aims to fill this gap in knowledge. Design/ methodology/ approach The findings from six interviews with local initiatives were presented in two rounds of workshops to other initiatives. The findings from these workshops have broadened and supplemented initial insights. Findings The communication strategies of LEIs seem to generate support and activation for those involved in the energy transition process. Although LEIs have little institutional power, they activate enormous civic potential. The LEIs investigated do not appear to have a clear communication strategy on paper, but there are identifiable components that belong to such a strategy. Research limitations/ implications Although this research is based on a limited number of interviews in a geographically defined territory, it seems that investing in communication management seems to be one of the most important preconditions for success in the survival and growth of local initiatives. In successful
This paper introduces and empirically illustrates a pedagogical approach to teaching Public Relat... more This paper introduces and empirically illustrates a pedagogical approach to teaching Public Relations (PR) in higher education. The approach is based on the Communities of Practice theory (Wenger, 1998). Based on this theory and for the purposes of this paper, learning is perceived as (1) a participation in a practice of (2) a social community and (3) the understanding of this practice. The pedagogical approach to teaching PR entails the facilitation of these three elements. The pedagogical approach is illustrated through a case study. The authors conducted an international undergraduate course to teach students how to conduct a social media campaign to raise engagement for social issues. Twenty students from Netherlands and Germany enrolled. In this paper the authors first review the current understanding of teaching and learning PR practice in higher education by describing the complex relationship between theory and practice in PR education and the importance of learning students to work in an international working context. Then a pedagogical approach is described which is translated into a course design. This course design is implemented in the first semester of 2017/2018. In the second part of this paper this course is evaluated as a case study and the results of this case study are discussed in the closing section of this paper.
In this paper the stakeholder management of start-ups is explored. In research within the domain ... more In this paper the stakeholder management of start-ups is explored. In research within the domain of stakeholder theory the focus is mainly on established and larger firms. However it is interesting to explore the stakeholder management activities of start-ups, especially of start-ups who are challenging existing power relations within their business domain. How do these challengers deal with stakeholders? What strategies are they using? And how are the dynamics of stake-holder management changing as the start-ups grows from the initial start until they reach a certain level of maturity? In this paper this relatively unknown field of stakeholder management is explored.
Vandaag de dag is de binnenstad een belangrijke motor voor de stedelijke economie en een centrale... more Vandaag de dag is de binnenstad een belangrijke motor voor de stedelijke economie en een centrale blikvanger van de stad. Binnensteden worden geconfronteerd met diverse uitdagingen, die onder andere veroorzaakt worden door niet beheersbare macro-economische ontwikkelingen zoals de nanciële crisis, veranderend consumentengedrag (consumenten bestellen bijvoorbeeld hun producten steeds meer online). Dit heeft afnemende bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid, leegstand (met name Retail) en lage burgerparticipatie tot gevolg. Deze economische onzekerheden en technolo- gische vooruitgang leiden tot de noodzaak tot nieuwe overlevingsstrategieën. Door deze ontwikkelingen verandert de functie van de binnenstad steeds meer. Bezoekers gebrui- ken de binnenstad vaker als een ontmoetingsplaats. Naast de mogelijkheid om te winkelen zoeken bezoekers vermaak en ontspanning. De kracht van de binnenstad is dat bezoekers hier op hun gemak kunnen slenteren, winkelen en recreëren en daarnaast terecht kunnen voor unieke winkels en grotere formules. De Kenniskring Cocreatie en Klantbeleving van Windesheim is onlangs gestart met het project ‘Bruisende Binnensteden’. Het project richt zich op bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid in de regionale binnensteden. De afnemende bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid in veel binnensteden gaat ten koste van de vitaliteit van deze steden. Het meest zichtbaar is de afname van bedrijvigheid in de retailsector. Dit uit zich bijvoorbeeld in leegstand van winkelpanden, maar ook andere sectoren hebben het moeilijk. Denk daarbij aan lage burgerparticipatie. Regionale binnensteden lijken dan ook aan het begin van, soms zelfs al halverwege, een transformatieproces te staan, waarbij het proces van verval ‘sluipend, ongewis en ongestructureerd’ verloopt. Kenmerkend in de huidige situatie is dat stakeholders in binnensteden, vrijwel onafhankelijk van elkaar, strategieën en systemen ontwikkelen en implementeren om dit proces om te keren of een halt toe te roepen. Het besef elkaar nodig te hebben en samen te moeten werken lijkt te ontbreken. In dit project ligt daarom de focus op het stimuleren van samenwerking tussen de stakeholders: bewoners, bedrijven/investeerders, bezoekers en bestuurders. De kenniskring wil daarom een Living Lab inrichten om nieuwe (belevings)concepten en business- 79 modellen te ontwikkelen die helpen in de transformatie van het centrum als winkelcentrum naar zogenaamde ‘experience centres’.
Rapid and constant development of technology and social media drive everyday changes in the retai... more Rapid and constant development of technology and social media drive everyday changes in the retail sector, modifying behaviour and power of consumers, whereby traditional brick and mortar stores are facing the risk to become obsolete. E-commerce and m-commerce offer to customer a more convenient, faster and easier way of shopping and the possibility to customize products and services to the individual needs of customers. There are different business models and tools for enhancing the on-line retail industry, which causes changes in the business of the whole retail sector, as well as in the micro and macro social and economic environment. One of consequences of increasing value of the on-line retail industry is a dropping number of customers shopping for products in brick and mortar stores in high streets and city centers. Brick and mortar retailers are exploring new ways to reach these lost shoppers. In this study an innovative application is researched that tries to bridge online and in-store shopping with an online platform (website) and a smart-phone app. The aim of this platform and app is to enhance the local shopping experience by making the physical city centre available for smart-phones and tablets.
In Zwolle (the Netherlands) an innovative online and mobile application is developed. This applic... more In Zwolle (the Netherlands) an innovative online and mobile application is developed. This application tries to enhance the local shopping experience by bridging online and in-store shopping with an online platform (website) and a smartphone app and making the physical city centre available for smartphones and tablets. The total of combined shops in a city centre is turned into a mobile mall. By adding personalized features like same day delivery and e.g. a loyalty system the platform wants to impact the bottom line of inner city retailers. In this paper this application is evaluated for a city centre that faces the aforementioned retail challenges: Zwolle in the Netherlands. A panel-based living lab is used and the app and platform are evaluated through surveys, user interviews and focus group/co-creation sessions. In the focus group / co-creation sessions feedback of the users is captured (iterative) and this has lead to some modifications / alternations of the innovation. The first results of this evaluation study to validate and co-create this retail innovation are presented in this paper. The app appeals to the user in that its innovative character is appreciated. However the app is not working yet flawlessly and this influences the user acceptance of this platform negatively. Consumers experience a mismatch between the current service and their expectations instructions.
The social, cultural and economic developments of countries, cities and villages are strongly inf... more The social, cultural and economic developments of countries, cities and villages are strongly influenced in positive or negative ways by digital media developments. A negative example is the decline of the retail sector in city centres partly due to the growth of online shopping resulting in shop closures and declining viability of town centres. Clearly, the innovation power of SMEs and various efforts of social and cultural institutions are not sufficient to cope with these developments (Molenaar 2010). Retail Power aims to use a Living Labs approach to create an innovation platform that will contribute to the development of digital city centre concepts and business models that will help to transform town centres from shopping to experience centres. Starting in September 2013 Retail Power Labs are introduced in six city centres in the North en East of the Netherlands. In these labs students and faculty members of three universities work together with the town centre occupants (SMEs, social and cultural institutions, the municipality, and inhabitants) to co-create a viable city centre. A Retailpower lab is considered as an open innovation network where various other partners are invited to participate. In this paper we argue that this Living Lab approach is perfect environment for combining vocational education, applied research and retail innovation.
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The pedagogical approach is illustrated through a case study. The authors conducted an international undergraduate course to teach students how to conduct a social media campaign to raise engagement for social issues. Twenty students from Netherlands and Germany enrolled.
In this paper the authors first review the current understanding of teaching and learning PR practice in higher education by describing the complex relationship between theory and practice in PR education and the importance of learning students to work in an international working context. Then a pedagogical approach is described which is translated into a course design. This course design is implemented in the first semester of 2017/2018. In the second part of this paper this course is evaluated as a case study and the results of this case study are discussed in the closing section of this paper.
de nanciële crisis, veranderend consumentengedrag (consumenten bestellen bijvoorbeeld hun producten steeds meer online). Dit heeft afnemende bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid, leegstand (met name Retail) en lage burgerparticipatie tot gevolg. Deze economische onzekerheden en technolo- gische vooruitgang leiden tot de noodzaak tot nieuwe overlevingsstrategieën.
Door deze ontwikkelingen verandert de functie van de binnenstad steeds meer. Bezoekers gebrui- ken de binnenstad vaker als een ontmoetingsplaats. Naast de mogelijkheid om te winkelen zoeken bezoekers vermaak en ontspanning. De kracht van de binnenstad is dat bezoekers hier op hun gemak kunnen slenteren, winkelen en recreëren en daarnaast terecht kunnen voor unieke winkels en grotere formules.
De Kenniskring Cocreatie en Klantbeleving van Windesheim is onlangs gestart met het project ‘Bruisende Binnensteden’. Het project richt zich op bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid in de regionale binnensteden. De afnemende bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid in veel binnensteden gaat ten koste van de vitaliteit van deze steden. Het meest zichtbaar is de afname van bedrijvigheid in de retailsector. Dit uit zich bijvoorbeeld in leegstand van winkelpanden, maar ook andere sectoren hebben het moeilijk. Denk daarbij aan lage burgerparticipatie. Regionale binnensteden lijken dan ook aan het
begin van, soms zelfs al halverwege, een transformatieproces te staan, waarbij het proces van verval ‘sluipend, ongewis en ongestructureerd’ verloopt.
Kenmerkend in de huidige situatie is dat stakeholders in binnensteden, vrijwel onafhankelijk van elkaar, strategieën en systemen ontwikkelen en implementeren om dit proces om te keren of een halt toe te roepen. Het besef elkaar nodig te hebben en samen te moeten werken lijkt te ontbreken. In dit project ligt daarom de focus op het stimuleren van samenwerking tussen de stakeholders: bewoners, bedrijven/investeerders, bezoekers en bestuurders.
De kenniskring wil daarom een Living Lab inrichten om nieuwe (belevings)concepten en business- 79 modellen te ontwikkelen die helpen in de transformatie van het centrum als winkelcentrum naar
zogenaamde ‘experience centres’.
In this paper this application is evaluated for a city centre that faces the aforementioned retail challenges: Zwolle in the Netherlands. A panel-based living lab is used and the app and platform are evaluated through surveys, user interviews and focus group/co-creation sessions. In the focus group / co-creation sessions feedback of the users is captured (iterative) and this has lead to some modifications / alternations of the innovation.
The first results of this evaluation study to validate and co-create this retail innovation are presented in this paper. The app appeals to the user in that its innovative character is appreciated. However the app is not working yet flawlessly and this influences the user acceptance of this platform negatively. Consumers experience a mismatch between the current service and their expectations instructions.
Starting in September 2013 Retail Power Labs are introduced in six city centres in the North en East of the Netherlands. In these labs students and faculty members of three universities work together with the town centre occupants (SMEs, social and cultural institutions, the municipality, and inhabitants) to co-create a viable city centre. A Retailpower lab is considered as an open innovation network where various other partners are invited to participate. In this paper we argue that this Living Lab approach is perfect environment for combining vocational education, applied research and retail innovation.
The pedagogical approach is illustrated through a case study. The authors conducted an international undergraduate course to teach students how to conduct a social media campaign to raise engagement for social issues. Twenty students from Netherlands and Germany enrolled.
In this paper the authors first review the current understanding of teaching and learning PR practice in higher education by describing the complex relationship between theory and practice in PR education and the importance of learning students to work in an international working context. Then a pedagogical approach is described which is translated into a course design. This course design is implemented in the first semester of 2017/2018. In the second part of this paper this course is evaluated as a case study and the results of this case study are discussed in the closing section of this paper.
de nanciële crisis, veranderend consumentengedrag (consumenten bestellen bijvoorbeeld hun producten steeds meer online). Dit heeft afnemende bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid, leegstand (met name Retail) en lage burgerparticipatie tot gevolg. Deze economische onzekerheden en technolo- gische vooruitgang leiden tot de noodzaak tot nieuwe overlevingsstrategieën.
Door deze ontwikkelingen verandert de functie van de binnenstad steeds meer. Bezoekers gebrui- ken de binnenstad vaker als een ontmoetingsplaats. Naast de mogelijkheid om te winkelen zoeken bezoekers vermaak en ontspanning. De kracht van de binnenstad is dat bezoekers hier op hun gemak kunnen slenteren, winkelen en recreëren en daarnaast terecht kunnen voor unieke winkels en grotere formules.
De Kenniskring Cocreatie en Klantbeleving van Windesheim is onlangs gestart met het project ‘Bruisende Binnensteden’. Het project richt zich op bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid in de regionale binnensteden. De afnemende bedrijvigheid en leefbaarheid in veel binnensteden gaat ten koste van de vitaliteit van deze steden. Het meest zichtbaar is de afname van bedrijvigheid in de retailsector. Dit uit zich bijvoorbeeld in leegstand van winkelpanden, maar ook andere sectoren hebben het moeilijk. Denk daarbij aan lage burgerparticipatie. Regionale binnensteden lijken dan ook aan het
begin van, soms zelfs al halverwege, een transformatieproces te staan, waarbij het proces van verval ‘sluipend, ongewis en ongestructureerd’ verloopt.
Kenmerkend in de huidige situatie is dat stakeholders in binnensteden, vrijwel onafhankelijk van elkaar, strategieën en systemen ontwikkelen en implementeren om dit proces om te keren of een halt toe te roepen. Het besef elkaar nodig te hebben en samen te moeten werken lijkt te ontbreken. In dit project ligt daarom de focus op het stimuleren van samenwerking tussen de stakeholders: bewoners, bedrijven/investeerders, bezoekers en bestuurders.
De kenniskring wil daarom een Living Lab inrichten om nieuwe (belevings)concepten en business- 79 modellen te ontwikkelen die helpen in de transformatie van het centrum als winkelcentrum naar
zogenaamde ‘experience centres’.
In this paper this application is evaluated for a city centre that faces the aforementioned retail challenges: Zwolle in the Netherlands. A panel-based living lab is used and the app and platform are evaluated through surveys, user interviews and focus group/co-creation sessions. In the focus group / co-creation sessions feedback of the users is captured (iterative) and this has lead to some modifications / alternations of the innovation.
The first results of this evaluation study to validate and co-create this retail innovation are presented in this paper. The app appeals to the user in that its innovative character is appreciated. However the app is not working yet flawlessly and this influences the user acceptance of this platform negatively. Consumers experience a mismatch between the current service and their expectations instructions.
Starting in September 2013 Retail Power Labs are introduced in six city centres in the North en East of the Netherlands. In these labs students and faculty members of three universities work together with the town centre occupants (SMEs, social and cultural institutions, the municipality, and inhabitants) to co-create a viable city centre. A Retailpower lab is considered as an open innovation network where various other partners are invited to participate. In this paper we argue that this Living Lab approach is perfect environment for combining vocational education, applied research and retail innovation.