Campaigns are used to generate ideas within a clearly defined focus area. A sponsor directs the campaign, a community manager asks a diverse group to contribute ideas, and a team of experts evaluates the ideas submitted by campaign participants. Campaigns are one of the most effective ways to generate ideas on a topic involving a diverse group of people.
An idea campaign typically focuses on a specific topic presented with a carefully phrased question, has a time limit to encourage participation, provides structure for the idea content, and can involve a large audience or a limited group of participants.
Idea campaigns offer higher quality and more focused ideas than traditional proposal plans. Most importantly, the ideas are aligned with the needs of organizations and are therefore more likely to be implemented.
How to Structure Idea Campaigns?
Idea campaigns are initiated by a corporate sponsor who wants to invite a group of people to propose and collaborate on ideas in response to an existing problem or to create a new opportunity. The sponsor has the resources and budget to implement the top ideas and move them forward as concepts and projects.
An ideas campaign poses a question and sets clear expectations for the ideas presented. The campaign may align with a strategic innovation area or sit outside of the main corporate focus areas. After ideas are submitted and approved by the invited community, a sponsor-selected ideas review team examines, evaluates, and selects the best ideas.
Deadlines are a crucial part of most campaigns as they help increase participation; however, there can also be long-term idea campaigns without deadlines. One example might be an idea campaign collecting cost-saving ideas in the strategic innovation area of "Cost Reduction".