Crowdsourcing in the social media era: A case study of industrial marketers

Abstract

In recent years crowdsourcing has increased in popularity as a method of gathering new ideas and innovations outside the organization. To make crowdsourcing work, there is a basic requirement to make external parties aware of the challenges or problems that need to be solved. Various digital marketing tools, especially social media platforms, provide new ways to foster the interaction between the parties. With the use of a case study, the study develops a framework to assess how social media and crowdsourcing can be integrated in an industrial context. The results reveal significant practical challenges to overcome before social media can be effectively utilized as a fully functioning crowdsourcing enabler.