Warc, 22 August 2013
MUMBAI: Brands are looking to harness the creativity of
Indian consumers as the growth of digital media offers new opportunities while
at the same time generating new demands.
Cynics have suggested that the interest in crowdsourcing is
a response to the underperformance of creative agencies, while more generous
observers see it as the result of the increasing economic pressures that
require marketers to explore more cost-effective ways of getting their message
across.
"Digital and social media have put brands in a position
where they must create and distribute content that traditional processes can no
longer accommodate," noted Arun Mehra, chief executive of Reliance
Entertainment's Talenthouse India.
"They need new tools and processes to meet this
demand," he told the Economic Times.
Recent examples of successful crowdsourcing include Ford's
introduction of its EcoSport model, which generated over 250 pieces of video
content and gave 90 consumers the opportunity to drive the car ahead of the
launch.
And Zodiac, the clothing brand, crowdsourced its 360-degree
campaign for the sub-brand Z3 and open-sourced TV scripts for its clubwear
brand ZOD!
"Increasingly we are all living in an era, where people
want their voice to be heard and brands are creating campaigns around this
reality," stated Vidur Vyas, PepsiCo India's marketing director for foods.
Even as marketers are showing enthusiasm for this trend,
agencies are more wary. "Crowdsourcing is not the answer to agency
lethargy," said Josy Paul, chairman of BBDO India, while conceding that it
did have a place.
"It can aid in stimulating a new point of view because
it's coming from fresh eyes that are not trapped in client-agency mindsets and
issues," he added.
The ex-head of Qyuki, a social media company active in
crowdsourcing, identified three essential ingredients in effective
crowdsourcing.
Poonacha Machaiah pointed to a "targeted community that
is 'emotionally' engaged, curation that is all about effectively sifting
through the content and surfacing the 'shining stars' and finally, reward and
recognition for the contributors."
Data sourced from the Economic Times; additional content by
Warc staff
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