Do you remember the Lay's "Do us a Flavor: Tastes of America" Contest? Launched in 2013 with actress Eva Longoria and chef Michael Symon as chief spokespersons, the campaign urged foodies and chef wannabes across the country, to create the next, best-tasting chip flavor for the brand. The winning flavor would earn it's maker a $1 million cash prize if chosen.
By February 2013, and after 3.8 million submissions, three final flavors out of 20 were chosen: Chicken & Waffles, Sriracha and Cheesy Garlic Bread.
I don't know the final outcome of the now annual contest, but the campaign is still going strong, with more than 7 million likes on Facbook.
The above example demonstrates what companies and organizations are now choosing to do to gain solutions to their creative process dilemmas. In other words, companies are using crowdsourcing to solve its advertising and business concerns.
According to his 2007 writing "Crowdsourcing as a Model for Problem Solving," University of Utah student Daren C. Brabham refers to crowdsourcing as "a strategic model to attract interested, motivated crowd of individuals capable of providing solutions [services or ideas] superior in quality and quantity" through online means rather than that of "traditional forms of business."
Brabham goes on to say that crowdsourcing is "collective smart" and a means in which the crowd -- not an individual -- solves the problems that puzzle companies and or organizations. Crowdsourcing is a great way to encourage active involvement from the public, as well as creativity.
I believe that crowdsourcing is a powerful tool for businesses that want to know how to better promote their brands and reach a wider audience. If used properly, businesses can get the answers they need from a central place -- such as the internet -- quickly and accurately, rather than through traditional means of times past. Furthermore, crowdsourcing invites an exceptional talent base, which in turn will yield profits for both the company and customer who chooses to participate in the problem-solving and production process.
I'm sure you can probably think of other examples of companies that have chosen to use crowdsourcing as part of their business techniques. As a result, these companies have been hugely successful. After all, various viewpoints coming from a group are much better than a plethora of ideas coming from one source. It's been said, "two heads are better than one." And in the case of crowdsourcing, this is certainly true but on a much greater scale!
Whether you manage a business, are CEO of a large corporation, or are an entrepreneur for a small company, you know one thing is certain: a business is its customers. What I mean is that an organization and/or business will only be successful if it treats its customers as top priority. Most importantly, customers want to feel as though they are a part of a company's success and that their personal needs are being met, so a company should therefore allow its customers to actively participate in its decisions. Companies should be transparent with their finances and open to ideas from the public. Social Media Sites and the web help to make this idea-sharing concept possible.
Sites like YouTube help to create a platform for amateurs in any field, professionals and entrepreneurs a like, to have their voices heard and share their ideas. YouTube users can do so without trepidation or repercussions. Freedom of expression and speech no longer belong to the elitist groups but is available to ordinary people at greater levels. Whether a group of scientists want public opinion on a new breakthrough formula, or a presidential candidate desires a majority opinion on an agenda item, solutions to the specific problems can be found within the millions of videos that have been posted on YouTube or Facebook.
According to Kevin Allocca, trends manager for YouTube, internet users are not spectators but active participants in the decision-making process. He says that users have "ownership in our own pop culture," which was not true in times past. The culture determines what 'goes viral' by what is considered popular or interesting at the time. Social Media Sites offer networking and validation opportunities for its users, as users and customers feel valued when their ideas are heard and recognized.
As the community of likeminded individuals continue to expand with its ideas and opinions, I believe this strengthens the individual to be creative and to venture into entrepreneurship.
In his 2008 speech to Harvard Law students, author Clay Shirky says true crowdsourcing points to "conversation and collaboration" among group members, resulting in better, more substantial ideas.
As crowdsourcing is excellent for business, it can also be helpful as it pertains to covering important events in the news.
As a former journalist, I loved getting firsthand information that could potentially turn into a breaking news story. Unfortunately, nine times out of 10, I was not always at a particular scene where news was taking place. This is where citizen journalists, as we spoke about last week, would've been helpful. Although I do not agree with citizen journalists writing news content, I am wholeheartedly for them giving news tips or sharing some aspects of news. How else will journalists in America be able to write a story about world news in another country without the aid of photos and videos from citizen journalists? Pictures and videos posted on Facebook, and mini-blogs tweeted on Twitter of worldwide affairs, urge ordinary people to get involved in the news-making and production process. Amateur photographers can make a name for themselves, and aspiring journalists can have their lifelong dreams of working for an established news service come true, all thanks to crowdsourcing.
There is no doubt that crowdsourcing from this standpoint would carry with it a
Whether used in business, politics or news, I believe that crowdsourcing can only be successful if it encourages diversity of people and thought. Research has shown that most internet users and blog readers are those who are white, highly-educated and of a certain socioeconomic status. Therefore, crowdsourcing must include the ideas, opinions, and contributions of various ethnic backgrounds, geographical locations (rural and suburban) and incomes for optimal impact and results.
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