OK, so I am going to purchase the book Crowdsourcing. The introduction that I read this week was fascinating and I feel extremely excited to read this book given that it seems as if we are right in the middle of this movement that is ever changing. Years ago I struggled to understand the open source movement, particularly in the software development world because I could not understand why individuals would contribute to something like Linux of Mozilla without being compensated. As the movement has progressed I now understand the true sense of community that is created and how such collaboration can be rewarding and inspiring, and in some cases compensated.
Crowdsourcing has already become a very powerful tool in digital marketing. Creating a platform to allow users to submit their own, personal touch on traditional products creates a sense of customization and uniqueness that can truly mobilize the consumer and garner interest in a particular product or service. At my agency, we launched a program for Clorox called “Redesign Clean” (http://www.redesignclean.com/) which solicited consumers to submit designs for a new Clorox wipe. This program engaged the community and also created awareness about the product launch. By creating a contest that allows users the ability to customize the box, what was normally a sterile container for wipes now has a unique design look and feel to it and is something consumers would like to have on their counter.
Similar contests have taken place recently to motivate consumers to demonstrate their design capabilities and show off their talent. Jose Cuervo 1800 tequila (http://www.1800tequila.com/) conducted a bottle design contest where artists could submit their designs online for the wrap on a tequila bottle. The application used is very cool in that when your artwork is submitted, it is rendered on the bottle as it would appear if produced. A $10,000 prize was offered to the winners of the contest and the bottle would appear in a national advertising campaign. This program was a great success because the “crowd” is being utilize to bring design elements to the bottle (not changing the product contained within), information about Jose Cuervo products is being surfaced to the many visitors coming to the site and information about the participants is being captured and helps Jose Cuervo better understand their target demographic.
Utilizing the crowd is a fascinating way to engage the community. As mentioned in the introduction to Crowdsourcing, you do not have to be a an expert in a particular field to contribute to the knowledge base being developed and users feel a sense of empowerment by participating in these communities. Hopefully when I fulfill my obligation to my MBA, I will be able to find some time to become active in the open community!
Your rich background will be invaluable in this course! Reading your initial blog entry reaffirmed elements of our perspective. A couple of points resonated particularly well: when you refer to metrics and ROI. This is one of my special interests and I monitor developments in this area with keen interest. I expect we will continue to make significant progress in linking marketing actions to financials. This offers a world of potential.
ReplyDeleteThe other emphasis that you referred to that caught my attention is the opportunity to interact with products. The new media provides an opportunity to "build a relationship" even with products that are not high involvement. This is a new area for marketers that poses all kinds of opportunities and challenges.
Very interesting blog entry!
Again, your commentary is very interesting and certainly relevant. Reading your post reminds me at how aggressively businesses are captializing on these new movements, such as crowdsourcing. Both of your examples are testimony as to how users have an invaluable perspective. They may not have any technical knowledge but they have unique insights based on their involvement with products. You noted the same in your post.
ReplyDeleteYour experience is very germane to this course material and I encourage you to continue to leverage your professional background in your coursework. Well done!