WORK Labs brings a new twist to crowdsourcing with LAB RATS

All the way back in 2009, crowdsourcing seemed to be the in-thing, and prompted a few brave souls to create new agency models that would take advantage of this new way of getting ideas. In 2010 we have a new player in the crowdsourcing game, or at least an old player bringing their own new twist.

WORK Labs down in Richmond, VA has created a new division within the company called LAB RATS. “The trouble with crowdsourcing, in a general sense, is the quality of the crowds,” says WORK Labs founder Cabell Harris, who we at ihaveanidea know in his secret life as a VCU Brandcenter prof. “This new effort, which I call ‘brandsourcing,’ solves that problem by assembling a crowd of pedigreed ‘Lab Rats’ that can take on a client challenge, provide feedback and generate ideas that are on strategy and focused on tangible, bottom-line business results.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there, press release voice! Here’s our translation into ihaveanidea-English. Rather than crowdsource to the whole world in the off chance that a grandmother in Dubuque with mean Clip Art skills cracks the nut, LAB RATS is closed to a select group of 25 “Alpha Rats” well versed in brand development and account management. Beyond the “double dozen plus one”, several hundred other invited “Lab Rats” from around the world are added to the mix, all with different backgrounds and strengths that they bring to the table. The compensation model the LAB RATS work on is pretty unique too; Rats receive “cheese” for being actively involved in the LAB RATS community (“The Maze” perhaps?) for coming up with client approved ideas and seeing those ideas along, as well as finders fees.

Of course the best way to find out more is to get in there and become a Rat yourself. You can find out more by clicking here.