Optimal Model of Crowdsourcing in Integrated Marketing Communications!Branford(Harris,(Sophomore(in(Adver4sing;(Dr.(Sam(Mwangi,(A.(Q.(Miller(School(of(Journalism(

and(Mass(Communica4ons,(Kansas(State(University((

Crowdsourcing(is(a(new(marke4ng(tool(that(has(the(poten4al(to(harness(latent(talent(from(the(general(public(and(use(it(to(build(brand(equity(in(marke4ng,(adver4sing,(and(public(rela4ons.((Despite(its(success,(there(is(no(model(for(implemen4ng(best(prac4ces(in(crowdsourcing.((This(study(seeks(to(iden4fy(characteris4cs(of(successful(crowdsourcing(through(case(studies(of(three(companies((Threadless,(iStockphoto,(and(FritoKLay).(The(study(found(that(successful(crowdsourcing(must(include(a(reward(system,(a(large(and(diverse(pool(of(contributors,(and(a(network(of(interac4on(supported(by(a(communica4on(infrastructure(such(as(the(Internet.(This(research(adds(new(knowledge(to(our(understanding(of(crowdsourcing,(and(how(it(can(benefit(a(brand’s(integrated(marke4ng(communica4ons.((((!

Crowdsourcing(is(a(way(to(“tap(into(the(collec4ve(intelligence(of(the(public(at(large(to(complete(businessKrelated(tasks(that(a(company(would(normally(either(perform(itself(or(outsource(to(a(thirdKparty(provider”((Alsever(J).(Although(crowdsourcing(is(applicable(to(virtually(any(field,(this(study(focuses(on(content(specific(crowdsourcing,(which(is(a(niche(that(uses(crowdsourcing(to(generate(content(for(a(business.((!

Vested(interest(theory(argues(that(the(more(a(person(is(invested(in(an(object,(then(the(more(likely(it(is(that(the(individual’s(aUtude(will(be(expressed(behaviorally((Crano,(1995).(Through(crowdsourcing(a(brand(is(able(to(generate(content(as(well(as(increase(the(vested(interest(in(userKgenerated(material.(Thus,(by(synthesizing(content(from(a(crowd(a(brand(simultaneously(synthesizes(a(market.(!

This(research(uses(case(studies(of(three(successful(a[empts(at(contentKspecific(crowdsourcing.(The(study(focuses(on(Threadless,(iStockphoto,(and(FritoKLay.(All(three(cases(are(compared(and(contrasted(to(find(common(techniques(implemented.((!

Threadless(is(a(webKbased(tKshirt(design(company(that(allows(users(to(create(custom(shirts(through(their(website.(A(marquee(feature(of(the(site(is(its(ability(to(use(crowdsourcing(to(foster(a(crea4ve(community(of(over(2(million(people(to(make(shirt(designs(for(Threadless(to(sell.((!

iStockphoto(is(a(webKbased(company(that(sells(royalty(free(stock(photos.(All(photos(are(generated(by(contributors(that(are(required(to(pass(a(photo(knowledge(test,(as(well(as(a(review(of(their(work(before(they(are(allowed(to(submit(material.(The(result(is(an(interna4onal(base(of(stock(photographers(that(constantly(generate(new(material(for(iStockphoto.((!

FritoKLay,(specifically(Lay’s(brand(potato(chips,(uses(crowdsourcing(to(generate(new(flavors(of(chips.(Usually(in(the(form(of(contests,(thousands(of(consumers(submit(new(and(unique(flavors(that(are(then(voted(on(via(social(media.(These(flavor(contests(inspire(numerous(video(reviews,(blog(post,(and(countless(other(avenues(of(free(press.((!

Successful(crowdsourcing(depends(on(three(factors:(•  Reward(system(•  Large(and(diverse(pool(of(contributors(•  Suppor4ng(network(of(communica4on,(e.g.(Internet.((!

ContentKspecific(crowdsourcing(can(be(used(as(a(way(to(supplement(one’s(brand(or(completely(define(it.(A(model(for(successful(crowdsourcing(must(include(a(reward(system,(a(large(and(diverse(pool(of(contributors,(and(a(network(of(interac4on(supported(by(a(communica4on(infrastructure,(such(as(the(Internet.(Without(these(interlaced(concepts(a[empts(at(crowdsourcing(would(fail.(When(vested(interest(is(increased,(due(to(the(crowdsourcing,(new(markets(can(be(created.(!

This(op4mal(model(of(crowdsourcing(illustrates,(by(cellular(metaphors,(the(connec4on(between(brands(and(crea4ve(communi4es.(The(exterior(turquoise(cells(represent(independent(crea4ve(communi4es.(While(these(communi4es(contain(a(huge(resource(of(crea4ve(poten4al,(they(remain(largely(unfocused.(In(the(center(of(the(model(lies(a(large(red(cell(that(represents(the(brand.(It(has(a(large(light(blue(“outer(shell”(that(signifies(its(communica4on(network((via(internet)(and(influence.(Next(to(the(brand(cell(sits(a(dark(blue(sphere(that(represents(the(content(that(is(being(crowdsourced,(and(a(yellow(sphere(that(symbolizes(the(reward(system(that(creates(incen4ves(for(the(crea4ve(communi4es.(The(key(to(this(cellular(model(is(the(connec4ons(between(the(brand(cell(and(the(community(cells.(By(connec4ng(their(light(blue(communica4on(networks(these(various(groups(are(connected,(and(focused(to(create(content.(The(crea4ve(communi4es(do(not(separate(aber(the(content(is(created.(Thanks(to(the(vested(interest(theory,(the(same(communi4es(that(were(gathered(to(create(the(content(now(become(a(new(market(for(the(newly(synthesized(content.((