3.9 summary
Crowdsourcing is “the act of taking tasks traditionally performed by an
employee or contractor, and outsourcing them to a group of people or
community, through an “open call” to a large group of people (a crowd) asking
for contributions”.
Crowdsourcing platforms give their communities a way to contribute
meaningfully to a cause that they are passionate about and to be rewarded for
their solutions. Community members may also feel a brand-building kinship
with the crowdsourcing organisation through collaboration and contribution,
while amateur community members may benefit from interacting with industry
professionals.
For clients, solutions to problems can be explored at a relatively low-cost and
often very quickly, and clients can gain first-hand insight into their customers’
needs and desires.