Crowdsourcing & Marketing: A Relationship in the Making

Abstract

Crowdsourcing seems to have come of age since Jeff Howe christened it in 2006 and the writing on the wall is clear. As more and more companies are trying to jump on the crowdsourcing bandwagon, crowdsourcing as a marketing strategy is cementing its place in the fiercely competitive business environment and it’s leading the crowd of strategies which have come to the fore in the recent years. The business corridors are buzzing with this ever evolving phenomenon, which no more seems like another buzz word around. As this phenomenon is gaining currency across boundaries, the academic research around this topic has also gained lot of attention. As a result this paper will draw attention toward the marketer’s perspective about crowdsourcing, as they are the one who are the harbinger of the future growth of crowdsourcing. This paper will highlight the level of awareness of crowdsourcing among the marketing managers, their perspective about its use and impact on various marketing strategies. In addition to this, their perspective on digital divide is considered to be discussed, as digital divide could play a spoilsport in the relationship between crowdsourcing and marketing. Most often it is said that if you want to do something different then don’t follow the crowd, first time it seems it is good to follow the crowd.