Have you ever had an awesome idea you’d like to share with the world? Why are there no peanut butter pretzel M&Ms? Have you ever had a problem that could use a fresh perspective? I need a name for my yacht, but Boaty McBoaterson is already taken.
If you have ideas, there are companies and government agencies out there that would like to hear them. If you need ideas, there are people out there who can help you get unstuck. We have learned first hand that crowdsourcing is a powerful tool that has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses and governments function. By leveraging the collective knowledge and resources of the crowd, businesses can get access to diverse and innovative solutions that can be used to solve simple or complex problems.
In December 2022 the USDA’s Agricultural Research Services ran a crowdsourcing campaign called Name The Holiday Pepper Challenge. The agency used social media to source creative names for a new strain of peppers that resembled a color-changing lightbulb on old-timey holiday lights. From Jollypeno to Purple People Heater, the public came through with heartwarming and hilarious ideas. The winner received the privilege of being featured on their social media. No cash prizes or even any legal rights to the name were offered. It was just a fun way to engage a wider audience for new ideas, while getting people excited about a new product.
Crowdsourcing enables businesses to access a much larger pool of talent than what is typically available from a single source. By tapping into the collective intelligence of the crowd, businesses can gain access to a larger variety of skills and expertise that can help them develop better products or services. This can help businesses save time, money, and resources that would otherwise be spent on developing in-house solutions.
Crowdsourcing also has the potential to increase customer engagement. By utilizing the collective knowledge of the crowd, businesses can develop better customer experiences and gain valuable insights into customer preferences. This can help businesses better understand their customer base and improve their products or services accordingly.
Finally, crowdsourcing can also help businesses foster collaboration and build relationships. By tapping into the collective knowledge of the crowd, businesses can gain access to a larger community of contributors with whom they can collaborate to develop new ideas.
So if you’re stuck, ask the crowd for their ideas. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you get.