Stream 09 Discussion: Crowdsourcing Creativity

I just wrapped up a trip to Greece for Stream 09. If you haven’t heard of Stream, it is WPP’s annual unconference focused on technology, innovation, and the future of digital marketing. 

The level of digital knowledge among attendees was one of the most impressive aspects of the event. Stream gathered 300 marketers, agency reps, technologists and venture capitalists from across the globe, all of whom contributed fascinating perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of marketing in the digital age.

There were over 60 discussions and five workshops spanning three days. Unfortunately it was impossible to attend every session, but the ones I participated in were incredibly energized and thought-provoking. 

(Image via Guido van Nispen)

One session in particular, titled “crowdsourcing creativity,” was very interesting to me. I’ve done a lot of thinking about crowdsourcing lately, but not from the perspective of how it is impacting the professional creative agency (e.g. advertising, PR, interactive). With brands like Unilever and Dell developing campaign and product ideas based on consumer input, some believe that the creative agency is losing relevance.

Like the majority of participants, I feel crowdsourcing is a future that the industry must embrace. The days of having a handful of experts conceive marketing programs is not only limiting, but it is wasting a prime opportunity to engage with consumers and shape brands with them. Some key take-aways from the session:

• No One Knows as Much as Everyone: It doesn’t matter how creative your team is. The masses will inevitably produce smarter ideas. Agencies must harness this to deliver breakthrough creativity to clients.

• Agency as Brand Guardian: Agencies don’t have to own it all.  Regardless of where creative ideas originate, agencies must still manage the process and ensure that content is professional and aligned with brand messaging.

• Crowdsourcing IS the Future Agency Model: Consumer-generated content is a treasure trove of insights and ideas.

Most agencies understand this and utilize this data for planning purposes. But the agency of the future will take it a step further. Successful agencies will have an open process for pulling consumer-generated ideas, curating the best of the best, and working with consumers throughout the entire creative lifecycle.

Thanks to Rob Stokes of Quirk Marketing for leading this discussion. Quirk is already innovating in this space. Check out their Idea Bounty service, which empowers crowds to generate ideas on behalf of brands.