Crowdsourcing for Marketing

In recent years, one of the highest profile crowdsourcing platforms for consumer products was Quirky. Now the site is under new management, and its platform is being revamped and relaunched.

How else are marketers identifying new product ideas and inventions via crowdsourcing?

• Innocentive is a site where companies, nonprofits, and government groups can "challenge" the public to solve specific problems that will lead to new goods or services. At left, the header for Cleveland Clinic's page on Innocentive, below which are listed a number of specific medical "methods" that the organization sought innovative ideas for. Corporations also post needs and problems for Innocentive users (from around the world) to consider and submit suggestions.  
• Some entrepreneurs post on their sites or blogs or social media to attract crowdsourced ideas. Emily Weiss put a post on her digital beauty magazine asking readers about their ideal face wash. She received hundreds of responses and used the input to create and launch Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. 
• Sir Richard Branson has hosted the entrepreneurs behind the idea-sourcing site Ideapod, where consumers can post ideas on various topics. A cross between Twitter and YouTube, Ideapod can connect companies and consumers through posts of a limited number of words and videos of a limited number of seconds.

Beyond new products, many marketers are crowdsourcing content, such as the tried-and-true contests that have resulted in memorable Super Bowl ads. For 10 years, Doritos ran its "Crash the Super Bowl" contest and put the winning ads on the air and online. This year's contest was the final one, however, with not only a huge reward but also the chance to work with director Zack Snyder on a future project.

How Quirky Screens New Product Ideas

By now you've heard of Quirky.* If not, an online search will bring up the site with this description: Shop for the world's best products, invented by real people like you. If you've got an incredible idea for a product, we want to know about it.

Quirky is one of several firms providing platforms for crowdsourcing new product ideas and transforming the most promising into marketable merchandise--in a matter of weeks, not years. 

The New York-based firm receives thousands of idea submissions every week, winnows them down to about a dozen, puts these to votes by employees and the public, and moves several winning ideas into preproduction every week. Every week--accelerating the new product development process to Internet speed. No wonder Quirky's revenues are projected to surpass $100 million in 2014.

Quirky has been especially interested in developing product concepts in specific categories: electronics/power, travel, parenting, health and fitness, home and garden, kitchen, and play. Just recently it announced a major "smart home" products initiative. It's also partnering with GE on products like smart air conditioners (see video below) and smart lightbulbs.

 

So how does Quirky screen the thousands of new product ideas it receives every week? 

• First, it eliminates ideas that are very much like existing products. Or that don't solve a customer problem as well as an existing product. Or that are already being worked on by Quirky people.
• Second, it eliminates ideas for products that are too complex. Or unnecessary--meaning they don't deliver valued benefits.
• Third, it eliminates ideas for small niche products that would appeal to a target market too tiny to scale for profitability.
• Fourth, it eliminates ideas that can't be produced with currently feasible technology. 
• Fifth, it eliminates ideas that fall outside its concept categories. If Quirky expands into that category, however, it will review the product idea at a later date.

* Unfortunately, Quirky went bankrupt in September, 2015.