Consumertobusiness

Consumertobusiness, often shortened to C2B, is a business model in which individuals or consumer-provided assets and services are supplied to businesses. In this framework the consumer acts as a supplier or value creator, monetizing personal skills, data, content, or ideas through a platform or direct arrangements, rather than the business solely selling to the consumer or sourcing from other firms.

Common forms of C2B include crowdsourcing and design contests where a business seeks ideas or creative work from consumers; stock-media and content marketplaces where creators license photos, videos, or writing to businesses; data and insights marketplaces that monetize consumer-generated information; and freelancing platforms where individuals offer specialized services to companies. Influencer collaborations, where individuals promote products to their audiences, also count as C2B when the business purchases influence, content, or endorsement from the consumer.

Benefits of the model include access to diverse talent and ideas, scalable creative outputs, potential cost efficiencies, and the ability to obtain consumer insights directly from the target market. Challenges encompass ensuring quality and IP ownership, protecting privacy and data rights, fair compensation for contributors, and managing reputation and platform risk.

C2B is often seen as complementary to B2C and B2B strategies and is facilitated by digital platforms that connect consumer assets with business needs. It overlaps with crowdsourcing, freelancing, user-generated content, and the broader sharing economy, representing a shift in value creation where individuals can actively monetize their contributions to businesses.