Creative Crowdsourcing

In creative crowdsourcing a skilled crowd performs a creative task. The customer supplies information about the desired design on a specific platform and stipulates the final price. The designers accept the contract and the customer selects the winning design that is then paid for. This method is commonly used to create company names, slogans, business cards or web designs. The crowd is usually comprised of people who are skilled and experienced in producing creative and innovative ideas. Using skilled workers in this instance lessens the risk of ending up with lots of work that you can’t use or isn’t suitable.

What Are the Benefits?

The issuing company benefits in many ways. A clear advantage is the ability to choose between a large selection of designs. Putting all of your hope into one person or small team isn’t going to give you the wide range of ideas that crowdsourcing will. Having ideas to choose from means more options and more chance to find that ideal content. The pre-determined price ensures planning certainty and the concentration of designers. This saves the trouble of searching for a suitable designer. In addition, the costs on these platforms are often significantly lower than for designers commissioned individually. Knowing the price up front means everyone is on the same page. This lessens any conflict or issues later in the process.

Learn more about the possibilities of the crowd and how this can support your company!

How to Crowdsource Creative Effectively

The crowd absolutely must have criteria to follow, they need to know their audience, the company, the product, what is required and what is a no-go. You cannot be vague when giving a brief to creative workers as this can lead to you getting designs and ideas that are way off the mark. Keep the incentive relevant to the task. Paying someone a pittance for several hours work isn’t going to get you an excellent finished product. Keep the rewards welcoming and you’ll garner the best talent possible.

Examples of Successful Campaigns

In 2007 McDonald’s held a casting for anyone in the world. The aim of this contest was to use the faces of real people on their bags and cups. After 13,000 entries they chose 24 to go on packages worldwide! McDonald’s in Australia also held a contest for someone to name a new burger and thus the McOz was born. The company was praised for including their customers and for their business accumen. General Electric (GE) launched a project in 2010 to gather enviromentally friendly business ideas. They also held a creative project via Instagram, awarding the winner a visit to one of their world class facilities.