Skip to main content

Crowdsourcing, Civilized. What’s that about?

By December 17, 2014March 10th, 2017News

Boom Ideanet recognizes that there are elements of crowdsourcing that are controversial: per unit compensation can be low, few or often only one, contributor may be paid, the approach is often charged with inviting “spec-work,” not to mention that it disrupts the traditional ad agency model for creative development. The Boom model is designed to address those issues. We believe that crowdsourcing will only survive if it is ethical in its principles and practices. Our goal is to operate such a platform.

We strive to achieve the following:
1. Award more contributors, in line with the freelance market.
2. Seek a balance between competition and compensation.
3. Protect the confidentiality of the brand, while respecting the intellectual property of the contributor.
4. Mash-up agency-level quality with crowdsourcing agility.
5. Offer a cost advantage to marketers without taking advantage of creators.

So Boom Ideanet is doing more than just challenging the status quo of advertising creativity. Boom is challenging the status quo of crowdsourcing.

MARKETERS: When you issue challenges through Boom Ideanet, you get a volume of high-quality ideas developed by vetted, creative talents at a fair cost. Clients are delivered a wealth of ideas that come from veteran thinkers, as well as from those who bring an utterly fresh perspective. It’s a low-risk, high-reward proposition for both busineses and creators.

CREATORS: When creative people accept a challenge, they always know the compensation structure at the outset. So every participant has a clear understanding of the terms before ever choosing to invest his or her time and energy and to enter ideas. Many crowdsourcing models operate on a “winner-takes-all” basis. Boom distributes award dollars more equitably. We typically offer compensation for finalists, as well as winners. In many cases, we diminish the degree of “spec” work by assigning creative talent and offering compensation to multiple creators.

NO SURPRISES: At Boom, that’s our goal. The only surprise should be the spontaneous reaction to a great idea!

Of course, in all scenarios, we want to charge fairly and pay fairly. A more rewarded “crowd” delivers more rewarding work to the client.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:  Every member of the network is vetted and signs a non-disclosure agreement. We want to assure the confidentiality of the client’s business information, which is crucial to setting the stage for productive thinking.

As a creator, almost every other crowdsourcing business requires you to give up your intellectual property at the time of entry. When you participate in a Boom brief, your retain the IP until purchased.

Boom is doing everything in its power to respect creative work and to operate ethically, advancing the principles and the practice of crowdsourcing. Here on the frontiers of crowdsourcing, Boom Ideanet intends to be a civilizing force.