In Italy, if you expect too much they say you want ‘a full cask and a drunk wife’. You cannot have it both ways, according to popular wisdom. That is not true in the case of crowdsourcing, though.
Recently, everybody has been talking about Yayoi Kusama’s installation at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, based on a elementary, genius intuition: build a domestic environment inside the gallery, then let the kids use it as a canvas, putting thousands of stickers everywhere – sofa, table, chairs, piano and walls.
The result? Everybody was happy (especially the artist), and everybody had fun (especially the kids). This proves why crowdsourcing is a very hot and contemporary subject.
Crowdsourcing is not a new idea - the Greeks invented democracy in the 5th century BC – but it will be an important issue in the future, which means NOW.
Last year the concept of crowdsourcing became the talk of the e-town, but this year it will finally take off. It is easy to use it on a social network to ask the consumers what they think of products and services, but how to get the best out of it when it comes to luxury brands?
A few months ago, Bergdorf Goodman and Fendi teamed up to crowdsource luxury handbags, with a campaign that heavily involved social media, but also online advertising and email marketing (which seems to be taking on a new lease of life), and the use of QR codes. The users were invited to vote on Berdgorf Goodman’s Facebook Fan Page on the Fendi bag they wanted to see produced. Fendi’s design team would then choose the winning colour combination from the 5 top-voted, and the winner received a limited-edition bag, available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman and bergdorfgoodman.com.
Similarly, Bill Amberg - the “Czar of leathergoods” – and Imran Amed, founder and editor of The Business of Fashion co-designed the CALGARY bag, then asked friends, followers and consumers to choose between different models in different colours.
Imran Amed said: ‘One of the biggest challenges brands face is deciding how much to produce, and of what. In the past they’ve usually relied on a combination of gut instinct and previous seasons’ sales to decide but even the best merchants make mistakes. Using the wisdom of crowds, some customers say what they like in advance.’ Remember the artist and the kids? Everybody is happy, once again.
Another case is Derek Lam, who launched a collection via eBay, last year; the users’ favourite designs went into production. Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, Derek Lam’s chief executive, told the Financial Times: ‘We wanted the consumer to participate and to have an open dialogue with them about it. It’s such a smart way of doing things. We’re testing the water so we know up-front what people want. You’re not throwing mud at a wall and seeing what sticks.’ Using eBay - 90+ million users - to test the water sounds like a good move.
Last but not least, guess who? Yes Ma’am, Burberry. On the brand’s site, fans could customise a trench coat in order to match their taste. Moreover, customers could buy items straight from the runway. For any questions, they could choose the “click to chat” or “click and call” options, in order to have a direct interaction with a member of staff. Live streaming, live chatting, live shopping.
Why is crowdsourcing going to be big?
The “prosumer” factor.
As the FT put it: ‘Never before has the consumer had so much control over what, how, and when products are available.’ With this awareness comes a brand new self-consciousness, which makes the consumer realise she/he is finally and officially a “prosumer”, and wants her/his share.
The experience.
Brands are all about the experience, nowadays, and crowdsourcing helps the virus spread. The consumer feels engaged, entertained and involved in the making of a garment/object/other, feeling a bit of a designer/adviser for five minutes, co-owning the brand for a brief - but intense - moment.
Feeding the Ego.
Everybody hopes their statuses on Facebook get hundred of likes, we all want our voice to be heard, and crowdsourcing makes the user think her/his contribution is a vital part of the process.
Customise or Die.
Customisation is the future. Full stop. From running shoes to helicopters, the feeling of owning something that is unique or at least not massified sells like hot cakes. Even luxury brands like Ferrari, who traditionally have always been playing the ‘my way or the highway’ part, now offer bespoke services. Moreover, crowdsourcing evokes craftsmanship; it sounds like a paradox, but the fact that the users decide and the brand produces reminds us that we are dealing with artisans, rather than machines. Customisation, being a special treatment, can be charged as such, and the customer is willing to pay for a tailored service – once again, everyone is happy.
The age of “Maturialism”.
The Independent defined “Maturialism”, or mature-materialism, as a phenomenon that ‘relates to the growing numbers of consumers who are experienced, less easily shocked, more outspoken and are appreciative of brands or products that are a little rude or risqué.’
Crowdsourcing can help the blasé consumers to find a more engaging and participatory way, while brands can follow the crowd’s advice, exploring languages and attitudes the were afraid of before.
Is everybody happy now?
London Web Agency Appnova – keep following us on Twitter @appnova and “like” us on Facebook for useful news and tasteful digressions about geeky stuff.