cash vs cache
high design & concept lab IDEO has launched an new “open platform” called OpenIDEO that encourages people to come together in an effort to solve big social problems. in exchange for their words, videos and creative thinking, group members receive a “design quotient”…or DQ…something IDEO hopes becomes social currency in the smarty pants world.
which got me thinking: how long before consumers aren’t happy to just be a part of something and demand compensation beyond the warm and fuzzies?
crowd-sourcing is no longer novel…nor is the idea of “listening” to your consumers. from Doritos crashing the Super Bowl to Pepsi Co launching Dewmocracy, any brand worth a lick is trying to get their fans involved.
but up to now, the chance to be part of the game was reward enough. submit your creative and it could be on the Super Bowl? name our new flavor and you can tell your friends you named our new flavor? design our logo and we’ll throw you some DQ points and you can brag that you have some…DQ points.
when will consumers realize this multi-million dollar companies are, for lack of a better term, using them for free work? researchers will tell you that consumers want this responsibility…that as passionate brand advocates, they’re looking to be an influential part of a larger “brand community.” which is great…until you have to pay rent.
questioning this isn’t about work being taken out of the hands of professionals (designers, writers, agency types)…it’s more about empowering the people. people who are adding value to the brand…people who are making other people money.
i’m fully aware that it’s not all about the benjamins all the time, and yes, IDEO is an outstanding company with an amazing track record of delivering breakthrough thinking. but being loosely tied to said agency via some digital brain dump ain’t cutting it…and until those DQ points can buy me a pint across the street, i’ll pass.