Crowdsourcing

Why invent something yourself when your customers can do it for you?

This is the "big idea" behind a popular wave of Internet-based sites companies are starting up to help them develop products and services their customers want— because they tell them so. General Mills has given one of its execs time off to study ways the company can induce customers to interact with the company and bring the “viral” marketing concept inside. They’re not alone— Starbucks has already profited from www.mystarbucksidea.com where customers post their ideas about how Starbucks can be improved. They can also vote on other people's ideas and communicate with one another, as well as with a team of Starbucks employees. Those employees review the posted ideas, select some that appear promising, and present to decision makers at the Seattle coffee retailer for possible implementation.

Devious and brilliant.

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