I found this service last year, but I thought I'd share it with everyone, because it's a really great example of non-traditional marketing. Quirky defines itself as Social Product Development, meaning that the source of their product ideas, design blueprints, product name, and other features are... you.
Well, not you personally. But you could. And quirky isn't stingy with it's profits; everyone who's ideas were used in the final product (even with something simple like its name) get a cut of the sales. This video gives a brief rundown of their business model, but I'll sum it up. Basically, Quirky asks its members to contribute product ideas along with 90$, after which it will be discussed and voted on by other Quirky members. If the product is feasible, and is voted in by the members, then it enters a series of product attribute forums, where members vote on different aspects of the product. Finally, once the product's blueprints have been layed out, Quirky opens up a forum for marketing, and ideas like logo and tagline are voted on and passed. Finally, Quirky manufactures the products, with a large portion of the profit going to its members.
What sort of ideas has Quirky cooked up so far? They've got a gourmet yogurt maker, small hooked spoons that hang on the corner of coffee mugs, a two sided USB storage device, and much more. I really suggest trying the site, it's completely free, and it's a great chance to utilize creativity and possibly make a few bucks.
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