Clive Reffell

Crowdsourcing is a technique that makes AI smarter by allowing organisations and individuals to gather information, often large amounts of data and annotation, from a large number of people and other sources. Typically, this is done through the internet. The data can be used to train and improve machine learning models, which in turn are used to create AI systems. By collecting data from a diverse group of people, AI systems are more likely to be representative of the real-world and less likely to be biased, or restricted by employees’ mindset based on conventional company thinking.

One of the main advantages of crowdsourcing is that it allows organisations to collect large amounts of data quickly and relatively inexpensively. This can be especially useful for organisations that need to gather data from specific sub-groups of people, such as those with disabilities. For speech-based systems, there may need to be special efforts to include under-represented people who speak a particular language, or a language with a certain regional accent, or speak it as a second language.

Also, crowdsourcing makes AI smarter through using it to gather feedback on the performance of AI systems, allowing for the identification and correction of errors and biases. This can be done by asking people to evaluate the output of the AI system and provide feedback, which can then be used to improve the system. This helps ensure that AI systems are accurate and unbiased, and that they meet the needs of the people who will be using them.

Examples of crowdsourcing that makes AI smarter

Amazon Mechanical Turk is a micro-tasking platform that allows businesses and researchers to gather data and input from a large number of people in a relatively short period of time. Data providers that use the platform are able to make what are usually small sums of money as and when they have time to perform tasks around other responsibilities. The platform is commonly used to gather data for training machine learning models, such as image and text annotation.

Google’s AI Platform allows developers to train machine learning models using their own data. The platform also allows for data annotation, which can be done by anyone with a Google account. There are tasks at every skill level.

Zooniverse is a citizen science platform that allows a network of over one million volunteers to assist with scientific research by helping to record, classify and analyse data. The platform has been used to gather data for a wide range of scientific research. The platform can provide citizen scientists to take on diverse scientific challenges including the study of galaxy formation, climate change and wildlife conservation. Volunteers are able to pursue a personal passion to good purpose, and researchers have opportunities for dialogue with a wider group of people than other researchers.

Mozilla’s Common Voice is a project that aims to improve the quality of voice recognition technology by crowdsourcing voice data. In essence, it helps teach machines how real people speak. The project encourages users to submit their own voice samples through reading supplied sentences, and also validate the samples submitted by others. The speech samples are donations, contributors are not paid.

Large speech dataset users tend to have their own networks of data providers. Defined.ai  is a leading provider of speech datasets, models and tools for training voice systems driven by Artificial Intelligence. It is based in Seattle, USA, and through its Neevo platform it has a crowdsourced workforce of over 500,000 global contributors from more than 70 countries who speak over 50 languages. Between them they have logged successful completion of over 200 million tasks to record speech, annotate it, or check the work that has been done by others. Having its own datasets provides a competitive advantage, and an added income stream from renting them to clients. It is a great example of how crowdsourcing makes AI smarter.

In the security sector, Sift Science uses machine learning and crowdsourcing to detect fraudulent behaviour in real-time. The platform analyses crowdsourced data from multiple sources, including user behaviour, device fingerprinting, and network information, to identify patterns that may indicate fraud. The platform also allows companies to also crowdsource input from human experts to improve the accuracy of the system. Other operators in this sector include iovation, Riskified, and Signifyd.

These are just a few examples of how organisations are using crowdsourcing to make AI smarter. Crowdsourcing is a powerful technique that allows users to gather data and feedback from a large number of people, which can be used to train and improve AI systems. This helps to ensure that AI systems are accurate, unbiased, and meet the needs of the people who will be using them.

Crowdtesting is a method of gathering feedback and testing products or services by utilizing a large group of testers, often referred to as a “crowd.” These testers can be sourced from a variety of sources such as online communities, marketplaces, or through social media. Crowdtesting can accelerate innovation by providing a diverse group of testers, cost-effectiveness, and speeding up the development process.

Diversity is one of the key benefits of crowdtesting. It is able to provide a large and diverse group of testers, which can result in a wider range of perspectives and insights than those delivered by an in-house team. This can be especially valuable for companies looking to create products or services that cater to a diverse customer base.

Another benefit of crowdtesting is its cost-effectiveness. Traditional testing methods such as hiring in-house testers or contracting with a testing firm can be expensive. Crowd testing allows companies to gather feedback and test their products on a large scale without incurring these costs.

Crowdtesting innovation can also speed up the product development process by allowing companies to identify and fix usability issues early on. This can help prevent delays and costly rework down the line.

It is not a replacement for professional in-house QA testing. In-house teams have a clear understanding of the product and the company’s values and goals. But sometimes, it becomes difficult and inefficient for them to test the product on all devices and operating systems available within a required timeframe.

Major examples in recent years

In the past few years there have been several examples of major companies crowdtesting innovation to accelerate product development.

Microsoft’s Release Preview Channel is where testers can “preview fixes and certain key features, plus get optional access to the next version of Windows before it’s generally available to the world.”  It is a community of millions of Windows’ biggest fans who perhaps feel a bit flattered to get the chance to preview Windows features. While previewing Windows, Insiders can provide feedback and engage directly with Microsoft engineers to help shape the future of Windows.

Another example is Uber, which used crowdtesting back in 2018 to gather feedback on its new Driver App design. The company utilized a large group of testers to identify usability issues and gather insights on how to improve the app. More than 400 drivers and delivery partners in seven cities around the world took part in a unique Beta programme to help Uber design and test a new Driver App. They collaborated with Uber designers and engineers to provide new ideas, share feedback and help report bugs. Over the course of 16 weeks, they reported over 2,600 bugs by sharing screenshots with Uber employees through various channels, including social apps. Uber employees also joined drivers and delivery partners as they took trips and made deliveries, to experience the new app being used in real time situations.

Google also uses crowd testing for new Google Maps features by utilising targeted sub-groups among their customers to gather feedback on the new feature and identify bugs. Google Maps is currently testing a sidebar on the web that provides convenient access to recently viewed places. It allows users to quickly go back to a place without having to search and sift through previous results. At the moment, this sidebar is not widely rolled out and only appears on some signed-in accounts.

Sourcing specialist crowdtesting support

There are also many startups, and any other businesses, that use crowdtesting as a key part of their development process, even though they may not have ready access to a sizeable customer database. Several third-party crowdtesting platforms can step in as intermediaries.

For instance, Testbirds provides a global crowdtesting service to digital product owners. Their network of over a million testers using more than 1.5 million devices can provide swift results and unbiased feedback. Classification by 65 criteria means that testers can be selected to closely match virtually any company’s customer and user base. A global community of testers means testing can be carried out 24/7.

This method of crowdtesting innovation provides results and insights from use in the real world, outside of lab tests, using an ever-growing range of devices, web browsers, and OS. Whether it’s for testing a new product or continuous monitoring in a post-launch period, Testbirds, and its peers, allow clients to stop guessing if their product meets their users’ expectations and start making decisions based on facts. Here is a Testbirds case study on globally crowdtesting a chatbot for cars.

There is also a range of crowdtesting tools available for organisations to start their own efforts.”Ease of Use” and “Quality of Support” are the two most frequently cited factors that positively impact user satisfaction for crowdtesting products.

For the crowdsourced testers, crowdtesting provides added income opportunities to be paid to use new and sometimes pre-launch websites and apps. Requirements include:

• A desktop device with OS, or a mobile phone.
• Stable internet connection.
• A device with a webcam and microphone.
• Good communication skills.
• Ability to quickly fill out surveys after product tests.

Crowdtesting tangible products

Crowdtesting does not have to be global, or online. Here’s an example of it operating in-person and on a local basis.

Brussels Beer Project is a Belgian craft brewery, with “the crowd” at its heart. In the earliest days after it launched in 2015 it ran a crowdfunding campaign offering future deliveries of discounted, and sometimes even free beer to pre-paying early supporters. This provided the startup with some cashflow and built a community of supporters and long-term customers. The brewery crowdsources left-over stock from bakeries in Brussels at the end of each day to brew their bread-based brand (bread already has yeast in it, a necessary requirement of the brewing process). This helped establish eco-credentials.

Early supporters were soon invited to the brewery for drinks at the end of each week, and they were a good crowdtesting source of feedback on which new beer types and flavours should be developed on a commercial basis. Early quantities of the beers that don’t make the grade for commercial production can sometimes fulfill the free beer deliveries to the early crowdfunding backers. Crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, crowdtesting – the Brussels Beer Project ticks all the boxes.

In summary, these examples show that crowdtesting is a versatile process utilised by companies ranging from global tech giants to a local craft brewery.  Specialists such as Testbirds can help businesses of all sizes get the best from crowdtesting innovation through gathering feedback on products or services, identifying usability issues and uncovering new features or functionalities.

Donations crowdfunding has already made a significant impact on the way people support charitable causes. Driven by social media and online platforms, it allows individuals and organizations to access a wider audience of potential donors and has made it easier for people to donate small amounts of money to causes they care about. What does the future hold for donations crowdfunding? To be clear, this article is not about crowdfunding that offers backers a reward of any kind – beyond the warm feeling people get from helping someone else. It is not about crowdfunding to invest in business equity, or to earn interest through lending on a peer-to-peer basis.

Advantages

One of the key advantages of donations crowdfunding is its ability to democratise fundraising. Instead of relying on a small number of wealthy donors, donations crowdfunding allows organisations to use digital technology to tap into the power of the crowd, which can lead to more diverse sources of funding and greater public/citizen engagement.

Another advantage of donations crowdfunding is its ability to create a sense of community around a cause. Donors who contribute to a crowdfunding campaign often feel more connected to the cause and to the other donors who have supported it. This can lead to increased engagement and advocacy for the cause, as well as ongoing support for future fundraising efforts.

One more trend that is likely to continue is the increasing focus on transparency and accountability. Donors want to know exactly where their money is going and how it is being used, and organisations that can demonstrate their impact are likely to be more successful in their fundraising efforts.

Finally, there is likely to be continued growth in niche crowdfunding platforms that cater to specific causes or communities. These platforms can provide a more targeted audience for fundraising efforts and make it easier for donors to find causes they are passionate about. Women represent over 70% of fundraisers and donors in social crowdfunding, and a growing number of platforms cater specifically for this demographic.

What are the most common reasons to ask for donations?

There are many reasons why people may ask for donations, and the reasons can vary widely depending on the individual or organisation. At a personal level, one of the most common reasons people ask for donations is to cover medical expenses. This can include surgery, hospital bills, and ongoing treatment and medicines for chronic illnesses. In addition to medical expenses, people may also ask for donations to support personal emergencies such as job loss, eviction, or unexpected expenses like car repairs.

Many people also ask for donations to support education, whether it’s for a school or a particular project, to support scholarships and grants programmes for students, or on a personal basis when financially-challenged individual students seek support.

On a larger scale, a common reason for donations is to support disaster relief efforts for humanitarian purposes. This can include natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes, as well as man-made disasters like terrorist attacks.

Non-profit organisations often rely on donations to fund their programmes and services. This can include organisations that work in areas like animal welfare, human rights, and environmental conservation. Some people may ask for donations to support arts and cultural organisations, such as museums, theatres, and community arts programs. This is often also known as civic crowdfunding.

These are just a few examples of the many reasons why people may ask for donations. Ultimately, the decision to donate is a personal one, and individuals may choose to support causes that are meaningful to them for a variety of reasons.

What market share do the leading donation platforms have?

The donations crowdfunding market is highly competitive and there are many platforms available. Here are some of the most popular platforms and their market share:

GoFundMe is the largest donations crowdfunding platform, with a very dominant market share estimated to have been around 50% in 2020. Its 2022 Giving Report claims the GoFundMe community has raised $25 billion since 2010, for a wide range of causes including medical expenses, education, and disaster relief.

Facebook Fundraisers is a relatively new player in the donations crowdfunding market, but it has already become one of the most popular platforms. It allows individuals and organizations to create fundraising campaigns directly on Facebook, and has an estimated market share of around 20%. 

PayPal Giving Fund is a donations platform that allows donors to give to a wide range of charitable organizations. It has a market share of around 10%.

JustGiving is a donations platform based in the UK that supports a wide range of causes. It has a market share of around 5%.

Whilst Kickstarter is mostly known as a popular crowdfunding platform for creative projects, it also supports charitable causes. It has a market share of around 3%.

It’s worth noting that these market share estimates are based on publicly available data and may not be entirely accurate. Additionally, the donations crowdfunding market is constantly evolving, with new platforms entering the market and existing platforms expanding their offerings.

The average donation size and amount raised

Data sources unfortunately include many instances where different types of crowdfunding have been bundled together, and reliable figures for donations-only crowdfunding are hard to find. The average donation also can vary widely depending on the campaign and the cause it supports. Data that is even just a year or two old can give a misleading picture given the general public’s response to appeals during Covid, and the more recent global cost of living crisis. There also seem to be more and more natural disaster appeals and humanitarian catastrophes due to extreme weather conditions attributed to the climate crisis.

Similarly, the average amount raised by campaigns can vary widely depending on the scale of any campaign and the cause it supports. Some campaigns may receive just a few hundred dollars, while others may receive hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

What other platforms are for donations only?

There are several other donations-only crowdfunding platforms that focus specifically on charitable causes. Here are a few examples:

DonorsChoose is a crowdfunding platform that connects teachers in the United States with donors who want to support their classroom projects. Donors can browse through hundreds of projects and choose to support the ones they are most passionate about. DonorsChoose charges a 15% fee on donations to cover the cost of operating the platform.

GlobalGiving is a crowdfunding platform that supports grassroots organisations around the world. It allows donors to choose from thousands of projects and organizations working on issues such as education, health, and economic development. GlobalGiving charges a 5% platform fee, plus a 3% payment processing fee.

Ketto is a crowdfunding platform based in India that focuses on social causes, charities, and personal causes. The platform was founded in 2012 by Varun Sheth, Kunal Kapoor, and Zaheer Adenwala, and has since become one of the largest crowdfunding platforms in India. Users can create campaigns for social and charitable causes, as well as personal causes such as medical expenses, education, and creative projects. Ketto provides tools and resources to help campaigners reach a large audience and raise funds quickly and efficiently.

The platform also partners with a number of NGOs and non-profits to support their fundraising efforts, and has helped raise funds for a variety of causes including disaster relief, education, healthcare, and animal welfare. Ketto also places a strong emphasis on transparency and accountability. The platform has a verification process in place to ensure that campaigners are legitimate and that the funds raised are used for their intended purpose. The platform provides regular updates to donors and supporters on the progress of campaigns and the impact of their donations.

AngeLink is an example of a platform designed specifically for women. It is the world’s first social crowdfunding platform powered by women, based in Florida and launched by founder Gerry Poirer. Over 70% of donations campaign organisers are female, and women make up the vast majority of donors – giving small amounts of money to help each other far more often than men.

The AngeLink platform is designed specifically to empower women entrepreneurs and investors. Its mission is to close the gender gap in funding for women-led startups by providing a platform where women entrepreneurs can showcase their businesses to a community of female backers. The platform also provides resources and mentorship opportunities for women entrepreneurs, with the goal of helping them succeed in their ventures. There is a 0% platform fee, though credit card processing fees still apply.

These are just a few examples of the many donations crowdfunding platforms that are available. Depending on the specific cause or project you want to raise money for or support, there may well be other platforms that are better suited to your needs.

Challenges

Despite its many benefits, donations crowdfunding also faces some challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the potential for fraud and abuse. Crowdfunding campaigns are not always vetted, and there have been cases where individuals or organizations have used crowdfunding to raise money for fraudulent or non-existent causes.

The topic is of particular media interest in India, where the share of GDP (gross domestic product) invested in public healthcare is relatively low, and so many people crowdfund to pay medical expenses. 73% of India’s rural population accesses only 25% of the country’s healthcare infrastructure, and 55 million people are pushed into poverty each year due to healthcare costs. The high volume of crowdfunding projects asking for donations attracts scammers who hope to blend in.

Another challenge for maintaining the popularity of donations crowdfunding is the high fees charged by some crowdfunding platforms. While donations crowdfunding is generally more cost effective than traditional fundraising methods, some platforms charge high fees that eat into the funds raised through donor generousity.

A third challenge is dealing with governments that want to restrict donations that finance activities they do not approve of.

Donations crowdfunding platforms with high fees

There are several donation crowdfunding platforms that charge high fees. Here are three examples.

GoFundMe, which is estimated to have a 50% market share of the donation crowdfunding sector, charges some of the highest fees: a 2.9% payment processing fee, plus a $0.30 per donation fee. It also charges a 5% platform fee, which is deducted from the total amount raised.

Kickstarter is better known as a crowdfunding platform for creative projects, and it charges relatively high fees compared to other donations-only platforms. It charges a 5% platform fee, plus a 3-5% payment processing fee, depending on the location of the donor.

Indiegogo is a popular crowdfunding platform that is better known as a quasi-sales channel for finished products, though it does carry donations-only projects. It charges a 5% platform fee for successful campaigns, plus a 3-5% payment processing fee, depending on the location of the donor.

It’s important to note that while these platforms charge fees, they also offer a range of services to help campaigns succeed, such as payment processing, marketing tools, and customer support. Ultimately, the decision of which platform to use will depend on a number of factors, including the specific needs of the campaign and the target audience, and the extent of a social media-literate support team that any project leader may have access to promote the campaign.

Government interference

It is not unknown for governments to restrict, or interfere with, donation crowdfunding activities through edicts and constricting regulations. Here are two examples of trying to deny financial support to groups that do not follow government policy.

Chinese authorities are assembling legislation that will require all donation crowdfunding projects to be submitted for approval before they can run. The number of crowdfunding initiatives in Hong Kong soared during the 2019 protests, notably the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which provided financial support for those injured or arrested during the unrest. Many successful personal crowdfunding projects were used by demonstrators in Hong Kong to pay their subsequent fines.

A campaign organised to support truckers in Canada who did not support the government’s compulsory vaccination scheme during Covid raised millions of dollars on GoFundMe. The Canadian government pressured the platform to end the campaign, and not hand over the money. GoFundMe says most of the money was returned to original donors. Over $7 million of the money raised in a follow-up campaign on the US GiveSendGo platform remains largely unaccounted for.

Overall, donations crowdfunding is likely to continue to play an important role in charitable giving in the years to come. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see new innovations and platforms that make it even easier for people to support a wider range of causes they care about.

What ethical considerations should businesses keep in mind when using crowdsourcing?

Much is written about the benefits of crowdsourcing for businesses. They include access to people with specialist skills at only the times they are needed, and indeed any extra pairs of hands that are needed temporarily to meet heightened demand. Also, outsourcing of mundane tasks through platforms such as Mechanical Turk. Entire businesses have been built on the back of workers in the gig-economy, including the legions of people who deliver our online shopping to our homes, or drive us to places in their own vehicles. Employers would do well to remember that when using crowdsourcing to complete tasks or solve problems, there are some ethical crowdsourcing considerations to bear in mind.

Businesses often talk of using gig-workers as helping them find a personal work/life balance, letting them fit work patterns around other responsibilities and interests. For better-educated people, and qualified professionals, that may be the case. However, nearer the other end of the scale are many workers whose greatest aspiration is to be recognised as a  regular employee, with payment for some time off and when they are sick, with medical insurance (particularly in US), employment rights and even pension contributions.  For many of them, gig-work is taken on a needs-must basis, juggling numerous income streams with working hour opportunities handed out corresponding to various measures such as customer review ratings, and the ability to work long shifts with minimal washroom visits.

Piece-work, in which a worker is paid a fixed piece rate for each unit produced or action performed, regardless of time taken, is often outside on any minimum wage legislation. Whilst the gig-economy can provide income opportunities to a more diversified workforce, African gig workers, for example, grapple with concerns including depressed earnings, the absence of benefits and job security, and insufficient safeguards against occupational hazards

Here are six factors to keep in mind if you have a business that employs crowds of gig-workers, or use crowdsourcing to gather ideas or problem solutions.

Fair compensation

The crowd should be compensated fairly for their contributions. Businesses should ensure that the compensation offered is commensurate with the work required and the value of the contributions. If recruitment and payment is through an agency, are payments divided equitably between the agent and the gig-workers?

Informed consent

The crowd should be fully informed about the project and what their contributions will be used for. Businesses should provide clear and transparent information about the scope of the project, the intended use of the contributions, and any potential risks or limitations involved.

Respect for privacy

Businesses should take appropriate measures to protect the privacy of the crowd. This includes ensuring that any personal data collected is handled in accordance with applicable data protection laws and regulations.

Intellectual property rights

Businesses should respect the intellectual property rights of the crowd. This means ensuring that the contributions are not used beyond the scope of the project without the permission of the contributor, and that any intellectual property rights associated with the contributions are appropriately attributed and protected.

Quality control

Businesses should ensure that the quality of the crowd’s contributions meets the required standards. This includes implementing processes to verify the accuracy and completeness of the contributions, and providing feedback to the crowd to improve the quality of future contributions.

Transparency and accountability

Businesses should be transparent about their use of crowdsourcing and accountable for the impact of their actions on the crowd and society at large. This includes being open about their motivations and goals, and addressing any concerns or complaints raised by the crowd.

By keeping these ethical considerations in mind, businesses can ensure that their use of crowdsourcing is fair, respectful, and beneficial for all parties involved.

The various ways that crowdsourcing can be used for the benefit of organisations in an ever wider range of industries and service sectors continues to grow. The number of platforms that can provide guidance, the number of organisations that have used crowdsourcing, and the number of individuals who have contributed to crowdsourced tasks and projects, all continue to rise. In this article we take a look at the range of benefits crowdsourcing provides for grocery and FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) brand owners. 

The FMCG sector includes products like food and drink, health and nutrition, personal care and grooming, and everything in between. They have a weekly or monthly purchase cycle and are quickly-retailed products that sell at a relatively low cost.

Idea generation

Crowdsourcing FMCG data and insights can be used to gather ideas for new product development (NPD), packaging designs, marketing campaigns, plus improved sustainability, from a large and diverse group of people. Here are examples.

NPD

In 2022, Nestle increased the annual number of new products launched, and reduced the time taken to bring new products to market from an average of 33 months to 12. Crowdsourcing was a key element of these improvements, accelerating idea generation internally, externally and digitally.

• Nestle established an internal Shark Tank and encouraged employees of any discipline to suggest product ideas. As an example, an employee in the pet food division had a child who was teething, and didn’t want them chewing on plastic: a teething ring made of food was developed.
• Externally, Nestle collaborated with 60 startups. This brought together creative innovation with corporate ability to scale quickly. The company also closed a third of its own R&D sites, and invested the money in accelerators and startup innovation hubs.
• Digitally, Nestle developed AI and data processing tools to automate to crowdsourcing among vast amounts of clinical data on food research, plant-based developments and new recipes.

In 2020, Lay’s crowdsourced new potato chip flavours inspired by iconic dishes from various regions of the United States. Fans could vote for their favourite flavours and the winning flavours were added to the Lay’s line-up.

Also in 2020, Oreo crowdsourced ideas for new cookie flavours and cream fillings through a social media campaign. Fans could suggest new flavour combinations and vote on their favourites, and the winning flavour was released as a limited edition product.

In Denmark,  during Covid, the Coop supermarket launched a temporary webshop to help small, pandemic-affected producers to sell goods directly via their Coop Crowdfunding platform. Over a hundred companies sold goods on the temporary webshop that were bought by more than 4,000 customers. This initiative is now a permanent online marketplace, and crowds of selected customers have the opportunity to decide which products to support, and potentially help them gain a store listing. The Head of Coop Crowdfunding, Nicolai Jæpelt, hopes manufacturers grow so large that they can be stocked on-shelf by the nationwide chain.

In 2022, Unilever invited startups, scaleups and academic spinouts to partner with its teams, through The Positive Beauty Growth Platform. They want new products that incorporate brilliant functional ingredients that work with nature in their Beauty & Personal Care products – and in their packaging. Baz Saidieh, Global Head of the Unilever Foundry, Unilever’s collaborative innovation network, said: “Startup-led partnerships are an important pillar to drive growth and innovation. The Positive Beauty Growth Platform is proving a catalyst of finding the greatest startup innovations and powering experimentation at scale.”

Packaging

In 2019, Nestle launched an open innovation challenge in China, calling on people to submit solutions in areas of sustainable packaging.

Crowdsourcing fmcg marketing

In 2021, Doritos crowdsourced their Super Bowl ad campaign by inviting fans to submit their own 30-second spots for the chance to air during the big game. The winning ad was chosen through online voting.

Pepsi Max’s “The Sound of Max” campaign launched in Europe in 2021. It invited music producers and fans to submit their own music tracks to be featured in a new Pepsi Max commercial. The campaign aimed to highlight the connection between music and the Pepsi Max brand and it received hundreds of submissions from around the world.

Today, many businesses want to take advantage of the expanding Content Creator and Influencer economies. Crowdsourcing can be used to gather user-generated content, such as social media posts, product reviews and customer stories. Content creators and influencers provide the perfect option for brands looking to direct their audience to their online landing pages. With swipe-up links, affiliate ads and product placement as viable options for FMCG products, many brands in this sector recognise the benefits of working with content creators. They can help build brand awareness and credibility in a manner regarded as more authentic than centralised creative work produced by a marketing or advertising agency.

Tails.com, a pet food home delivery service, wanted to deliver a selection of authentic and engaging content to drive brand awareness, raise brand consideration and drive customer acquisition and sales. The creators the brand worked with produced genuine and informative content to showcase the benefits of feeding dogs this type of food, made with high quality ingredients. Tails.com’s paid-for advertising media concentrated on a “reduce waste” message, which enabled the brand to prove the success of their influencer marketing strategy which used different messages.

Sustainability

In 2021, Unilever launched a global startup collaboration program, calling on innovators to submit sustainable food solutions that can help reduce the environmental impact of the food industry. The program received over 300 applications from 40 countries.

Consumer insights

It is critical for FMCG brands to inform their marketing activities with a regularly updated understanding of their target audience. Crowdsourcing can help FMCG brands gather feedback and insights from their target consumers, not only about product preferences but also ESG expectations and media behaviour, which can aid product development, marketing strategies, and overall brand positioning.

Boosts brand loyalty

Crowdsourcing customer involvement in such activities can help FMCG brands build brand loyalty by involving consumers in the brand’s decision-making and product selection processes, and making them feel like they are part of the brand community.

Crowdsourcing FMCG store checks

Store checks can be carried out by crowds of shoppers. They can check products are stocked and well presented on the shelves, and at what height. They can check that bin-end installations and marketing materials are in place, and the relative presence of competitors. Phone images can be sent immediately to a central point for collation and assessment.

Roamler is one of the mobile crowdsourcing platforms that allow companies to outsource tasks to a community of smartphone users. The Roamler app enables them to earn money by completing tasks while they are out shopping, such as taking photos of products on store shelves, conducting surveys, or performing mystery shopping activities.

In 2020, Nestle partnered with Roamler to launch a campaign that aimed to increase sales of Nescafe coffee in the Netherlands. The campaign involved Roamler users visiting grocery stores to conduct in-store promotions and provide feedback on Nescafe displays and pricing. Roamler has also been used by other fmcg brands including Heineken, Coca-Cola, Unilever and PepsiCo for various tasks such as store audits, promotional execution, product demonstrations, and more.

After a successful pilot in January 2023, Roamler launched its newest monitor, the Monday Morning Price Tracker (MMPT), in Germany in March 2023. Every Monday morning before 10.30 am, 36 to 58 stores across Germany will be visited to get the latest data on real-time prices, as well as observations on sub-category seasonality to provide feedback for production teams. The data will be analysed immediately with results reported before 11.15 am the same day. There are plans to extend MMPT to France and the UK.

Crowdsourcing can help FMCG and grocery brand owners create more consumer-centric products, improve brand perception, and drive engagement and loyalty among their target audiences.