Crowdsourcing Connects Fans with Celebrities
While virtual teams are teams are no longer novel, one interesting trend has been creating some unexpected team connections between celebrities and fans. New tech company Talenthouse is using a crowdsourcing model to give talented fans the opportunity to participate in projects with leading artists and brands in industries including music, media and fashion design.
Already, the site has an impressive list of success stories. Lady Gaga used the site to find tour bloggers, Kylie Minogue and Queen have generated T-shirt designs. The band Soundgarden enlisted tour photographers for coverage in cities throughout North America.
While entries can be voted on by site visitors, the contest holders do not make any guarantees that the winner will be chosen based on popularity. Winners are not paid, but the arrangement appears to be mutually beneficial. Artists have the opportunity involve and engage fans while receiving cheap or free labor, winners obtain a high-profile portfolio piece.
In the Soundgarden example, winners were responsible for any travel or accommodation expenses incurred. The Kylie Minogue winner received a signed copy of their design when produced. Winners do receive credit for their work and a
Other celebrities are using more informal methods to connect and engage with fans, while also benefitting from their ideas. The Daily Crowdsource reports several examples. Actor Judd Apatow used jokes sent by his Twitter followers to add humor to his speech at the Producers Guild Awards. Film director Ridley Scott used a YouTube video contest to create a film to be released this month by the National Geographic Channel.
Social media has also provided an even stronger medium for allowing celebrities to use their visibility to gain awareness for causes and charities. For example, a global campaign to purchase the white dress famously worn by Marilyn Monroe in “The Seven Year Itch” mobilized 1,500 supporters and raised $3.1 million over about a month’s time.
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