In the spirit of wikipedia where people from all over the world contribute to a product (i.e. an encyclodpedia), crowdsourcing has emerged where organizations outsource the need to solve a problem to the public. Are you working on the next product or service that will change the world but can’t get past the last formula or technical approach? Check out Innocentive.

At Innocentive, companies (who can choose to remain anonymous) post their challenges and anyone from around the world can submit answers. The people who provide potential answers, even though they are registered users, remain completely anonymous.

Solutions are evaluated on the merit of their idea. The submitter’s previous work, current research, educational background, recent published papers (or lack thereof) do not play a factor in winning as the answers are provided anonymously. It’s the democratization of innovation.

Chosen solutions may be offered monetary prizes, formal recognition and of course, bragging rights.

My current weekend project to solve:  Dual Use – Off Grid – Illumination Device.

Source: NPR

Doesn’t this feel a little like this? How well did it work the first time?

Real people (like your mom*) don’t buy things based on the number of bullet-pointed features found on the outside of the box. Apple knows that now. They learned it from the iPod.

* And don’t bother telling me that Helio isn’t selling their product to your mom. I know that. However, your mom (or, at least my mother in law) absolutely wants an iPhone.

One of the things that makes Apple’s product experience terrific is the first couple of minutes you interact with whatever shiney new thing you’ve just purchased. Clearly, Apple spends a lot of time engineering a dramatic and rewarding box-opening for consumers. In fact, I’d guess that Apple spends more time thinking about a consumer’s first interaction with a device than most companies do on their product’s entire user experience. It’s all part of the Apple show and is one of the reasons you see so many box opening ceremonies recorded online in step-by-step photo albums the moment the new goods hit the street.

Contrast this with my recent experience buying a Palm Treo 755p. Not only was the packaging all Sprinted-up (yellow…who picked yellow as their corporate color?) and totally utilitarian in nature, but the phone geek behind the counter got the privilege of breaking my phone’s seal by ripping open the box, turning it on for the first time, peeling all the protective plastic off, and basically manhandling the poor thing and mashing down all its buttons for 10 minutes before handing it over to me. I mean, it was warm and a little moist when I got hold of it and it was brand new. Can you imagine something like that happening in an Apple store? Who wants to get a brand new iPod all smeared up with someone else’s fingerprints before you even leave the store? Nobody.

In my opinion, Apple will need to figure out a new way to sell cell phones if they want to maintain their product’s mystique. I predict they’ve worked out a way to sell and activate their phones through AT&T that only entails the scanning of a bar code on the box. Everything else will happen automagically as soon as you boot the thing up. Anything less would not be a good show.

My prediction of the three things pundits will decry when reviewing the iPhone:

1. Short battery life.
2. Wiggy keyboard.
3. Lack of Exchange support.

Bonus item: Small internal storage.

Mind you, I love the thing and will most likely buy one when version two comes around. Assuming no one else I know gets one first…

Check out the damned sexy video.

Effective in branding itself as the low cost leader, Wal-Mart’s efforts to attract purchases of higher end merchandise have not met expectations according to a leaked report to The New York Times. Brand perceptions take years, if not decades, to craft and the report showcased a disconnect with Wal-Mart’s approach to reach new audiences. A key takeaway is that consumers are looking to the overall values of what the brand represents – not just “lowest cost”.

Special call-outs were made to local firms Target, BestBuy and Kohls on how their differentiating brand strategies have been successful in reaching new consumers.

All was not dire for the Bentonville crowd, they do take a leadership role in what is termed the “zero-time”shopper:

That [Wal-Mart's] environment is conducive to “zero-time” shopping, in which a customer spends just a few seconds thinking about a product, like a new bottle of dishwashing soap. “But people don’t buy electronics, home décor and apparel in zero time,” the report says.

Of course, I have to feature my favorite loyalty program to address zero time shopping. It’s all about the brand perception at the point of purchase while consumers are making the on-shelf decision.

Via The New York Times

Blogging about a little app he created to demonstrate the Twitter API, developer Brent Simmons had this to say:

Folks who aren’t developers sometimes think that apps like Twitterrific are 90% under-the-hood plumbing and a 10% sprinkling of user interface. The truth is more likely the opposite: 10% plumbing, 90% user interface.

And it struck me that his comment could have just as easily been made about the medium ideapark works in. Ninety percent user interface (design, function, message, strategy) and ten percent plumbing.

Via Darling Furball.

At Saturday’s Minnebar, we caught up with David Heinemeier Hansson of 37Signals. David is the creator of the web-application framework Ruby on Rails. Leonardo da Vinci once stated “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” This is what David has developed with the Rails framework. David talked about his passion for developing aesthetically pleasing code that inspires web developers to do great work. Although most marketers wouldn’t need to know (nor necessarily need to care) about Ruby on Rails, for us it is an instrumental tool to ensure our clients’ marketing message and metrics are achieved on the web.

David’s technology foundation – although not visible to the customers – is the major strand of the DNA for the 37Signals brand. It comes across in their no nonsense approach. It shows in their passion for delivery solutions that customers need, not what they want.

David’s company develops phenomenal products that we use daily at ideapark to foster collaboration and creativity. From left-to-right: Chris Henslin (ideapark) David Heinemeier Hansson (37signals) Brian Brown (ideapark)

Btw, this meeting in the Twin Cities was the largest BarCamp outside of India. (What is BarCamp?) Even though it’s the un-conference, great job to the organizers. Noted blogger, Graeme Thickens, gives a great overview. Photo credit to Graeme with yours truly captured looking back from the throngs of attendees.

We also strive to deliver what our customers need, not necessarily what they want. David, thanks for making the trip up.

UPDATE: Leslie Brooks Suzukamo’s article in the Pioneer Press

At long last, alternatives to streaming media on the web. Microsoft unveiled Silverlight and associated screens shots at NAB. Check out the new streaming media from Move Networks, Inc. that www.abc.com is using to broadcast shows like Ugly Betty, Lost and Desperate Housewives. The claim:

“Okay, quite possibly the sharpest video you’ve ever seen on the web.”

With a claim like that, we had to test it for ourselves. So we tested it out – over WiFi on the 52 inch HD system in the back of the office. We were blown away. Buffering issues? None. Pixelated? After the first 10 seconds or so, it was eliminated. Yes, we were running it in full screen mode as well.

Speaking of recent acquisitions, for those of you following the TellMe voice recognition technology acquisition (also by the folks in Redmond), a new release came out today. I’ve been following TellMe for some time. If you’ve ever used 1-800-555-1212, you’re using TellMe and I’ve found it to be quite useful. I’m usually in a noisy airport when I access the *free* service and it’s performed remarkably well. Microsot may have missed out on DoubleClick, but they got this one right. Also, look for aQuantive to be in play by the big players in the market.

… I’m still chuckling at the Greatest. Website. Ever. VVVVV

Author Miranda July has created a website for her new book, No One Belongs Here More Than You, using nothing more than a dry erase marker, her refrigerator, gas stove, and a digital camera. It’s simple yet effective and a lot of fun. Kottke says:

The No One Belongs Here More Than You site is a lesson for web designers: the point is not to make sites that follow all the rules but to make sites that will best accomplish the primary objectives of the site.

Sounds good to me.

From Walt Mossberg, the leading tech writer for older rich white guys, on his recent frustrations following the purchase of a new Sony laptop and having to deal with “the plethora of teaser software and advertisements for products that must be cleared and uninstalled to make way for your own stuff”:

The problem is a lack of respect for the consumer. The manufacturers don’t act as if the computer belongs to you. They act as if it is a billboard for restricted trial versions of software and ads for Web sites and services that they can sell to third-party companies who want you to buy these products.

…

On my new Sony, there were two dozen trial programs and free offers. The desktop alone contained four icons representing come-ons for various America Online services, and two for Microsoft. The start menu and program menu had more items that I neither chose nor wanted. Napster, a music service I don’t use, was lodged at the lower right of the screen.

The worst was a desktop icon called “Watch Hit Movies Now!” This turned out to be four full-length films from Sony’s movie studios, which the company had preloaded onto my computer at the cost of more than four gigabytes of precious hard-disk space. But they aren’t a gift. If you want to play them, you have to pay Sony.

This is not a “Macs are better than PCs” thing. This is a prevalent issue in the PC industry where marketers are deciding to sell their product’s experience to the highest bidder. It’s true that Apple was heading in a similar direction in the mid 90’s when I can remember seeing several third-party services and products on a new Mac’s desktop, but if you buy a Mac today you see none of that. You see a company deciding not to take money sitting on the table because they care more about the experience a consumer receives rather than the few extra bucks they could add to the bottom line. Hardly the only reason, but surely one of the things that makes new and existing Apple customers like their products so much and buy them over and over again.

Can you imagine car manufacturers doing the same kind of thing? What if every time you started your new minivan a voice came on that said, “Be sure to take advantage of a special discount offered to all our new customers for Armor All Carpet & Upholstery cleaner! It cleans the toughest automotive dirt and grime from your car’s interior. Look for the valuable coupon in your car’s manual. Armor All – We’ve got you covered,” until you navigated into the car’s computer using the stereo’s buttons and disabled the “Valuable Offer” feature. How is that any different than what Sony’s doing on Walt’s laptop?

Good marketing offers value to both you and your company in a way that suits the consumer’s needs, not yours. Everything else is spam.

Via Digg.