Page 315 - (DK) The Business Book

DELIVERING THE GOODS 313

See also: Finding a profitable niche 22–23 ■ Understanding the market 234–41 ■ Make your customers love you 264–67 ■
Why advertise? 272–73 ■ Applying and testing ideas 310–11 ■ Benefitting from “big data” 316–17

ratings and reviews allow companies types of crowdsourcing. For
to see what their customers like example, some independent
and dislike about a product. filmmakers finance their movies as
In the IT industry, companies crowdsourcing projects. Carmakers
such as Apple and Microsoft use such as Citroën and Nissan have
beta testing to enhance the quality used crowdsourcing to enable car
of their new products. This process buyers to contribute ideas for the
involves the software developer kind of product features that should
prereleasing copies of new software be built into new vehicles. Citroën
via the Internet. Members of the ran its crowdsourcing project via a
public who are interested in Facebook app. Members of the
software and programing have the general public were free to join the
opportunity to road test the new Facebook group—called C1
product. They might point out bugs Connexion—and add their thoughts
they encounter and offer possible on six key aspects of the new car’s Ozzy Osbourne’s official website
solutions to the problems they have design, including the number of hosted a poll for fans to vote for the next
identified. The developer has the doors, the color of the interior, and single from his 2007 album Black Rain.
They were offered three tracks to choose
opportunity to improve the software the equipment specification. Citroën
from—the title song “Black Rain” won.
before it is released, increasing the kept its promise to build the car in
probability of the new product line with the preferences expressed
succeeding in the marketplace. via the Connexion Facebook app. offer the information free of charge.
There are several advantages to If cash is offered in exchange for
Crowdsourcing incorporating positive and negative feedback, the amounts tend to be
The belief that companies can, and feedback from members of the public small. Those who use crowdsourcing
should, learn from their customers is and customers into the product- as part of the product-development
growing. One example is the rise of development process. The most process also recognize that there will
crowdsourcing—a practice where obvious is that it is very cheap. In be experts outside the company who
companies get ideas, or even finance many cases companies do not pay are not on the payroll, but who have
for a new product (crowd funding), for the ideas and opinions of valuable ideas and knowledge that
from the public. There are different crowdsourcers; interested volunteers should be harnessed. ■

Wikipedia Wikipedia is an open-source
project, meaning that everyone
The online encyclopedia, with access to the Internet is
Wikipedia, was set up in 2001 able to write or make changes to
The more you engage by Larry Sanger and Jimmy it. Wikipedia does not charge its
with customers the Wales as a crowdsourcing customers for using its product.
clearer things become project. Rather than hiring paid Instead, the project is financed
writers and editors, the founders by donations from supporters.
and the easier it is to
of Wikipedia asked members of Many of these supporters argue
determine what you
the public to create the product that Wikipedia is superior to
should be doing. themselves by submitting their conventional encyclopedias
John Russell articles electronically. because, unlike them, articles
Harley Davidson president (1950–) By July 2013 Wikipedia can be updated quickly and
comprised over 22 million easily. Wikipedia has taken the
articles, written in 285 concept of crowdsourcing to the
languages by 77,000, largely limit—the entire product has
anonymous and unpaid, authors. been created by consumers.