A number of licensors have turned to crowdsourcing to inspire and test new products and categories. To name just a few examples, toy companies such as LEGO and Mattel have implemented innovation programs to allow their consumers to suggest and vote on new toy ideas, while a variety of crowdsourcing sites, Designed by Humans and Threadless among them, work with licensors including Ubisoft and Cartoon Network to solicit fan-generated designs for apparel and other products.
Crowdsourcing is also starting to give rise to a new type of property, as several crowdsourced websites have begun to explore the possibilities of brand-extension licensing on a limited basis. Examples include:
• Urban Dictionary, a user-generated slang reference. It is available for licensing through Dimensional Branding Group for toys and games, home décor, accessories, and digital content; Andrews McMeel and Nobleworks are its initial licensees.
• WikiLeaks, where anonymous sources contribute leaked news and information for public sharing. It launched a program in 2014 for mugs, t-shirts, and the like featuring its logo and the image of its founder Julian Assange.
• Wikipedia, the crowdsourced online encyclopedia. The Wikimedia Foundation offers merchandise such as hoodies and pins that are available for purchase and given to its contributors. So far it has worked with a promotional merchandising firm to develop the products, rather than signing traditional licensees.
• Awkward Family Photos, a site where users can submit embarrassing photos or add comedic captions to the posted images. It has extended its name into board games with All Things Equal.
In many—but certainly not all—cases, the primary intent of such programs is to support the sites’ stated causes of empowerment and freedom of expression, both promotionally and financially.
Check back next week for coverage of U.K. and European licensing trends, as RaugustReports pays a visit to Brand Licensing Europe in London.
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