The best way to keep customers loyal? Make them part of the product itself.
Most brands treat customers as buyers at the end of a funnel. They create, they market, they sell, and the customer’s only role is to consume. But the most powerful loyalty comes when you flip that model. Instead of talking at customers, you build with them.
Lego ideas
LEGO has done this brilliantly through LEGO Ideas, a platform where fans can submit their own set designs. The community votes on their favorites, and winning concepts are turned into official LEGO products.
Creators aren’t just credited. They’re rewarded financially and celebrated publicly as part of LEGO’s brand story. That means a fan’s dream design can end up on store shelves worldwide, carrying their name on the box.
This isn’t traditional marketing. It’s co-creation. Customers aren’t just buying LEGO, they’re shaping what LEGO becomes.
Why it works
Co-creation creates ownership. When fans see their ideas brought to life, they form a bond that no loyalty program could match. Even those who don’t win still feel invested in the process: they voted, they contributed, they were part of a collective journey.
That sense of involvement turns customers into advocates. They don’t just purchase products, they tell stories, share designs, and recruit others into the community. And because the products come from fans themselves, the appeal feels authentic, not manufactured.
The result? LEGO transforms from a toy company into a movement powered by creativity and collaboration.
The takeaway
Retention doesn’t happen when you simply push campaigns or promotions. It happens when you invite customers into the process of building something bigger than themselves.
When customers feel like co-creators, they don’t just stick around, they champion the brand, tell its story, and deepen the loyalty loop.
If you want loyalty that money can’t buy, stop asking how to sell more. Start asking how to let your customers help you create.
