Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / How Brands Use Social Media to Crowdsource Product Design
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this moment that happens every time a brand opens up its product design to the public, and it's equal parts exciting and terrifying. You're basically saying, 'Here's our canvas, tell us what to paint.' Luna: And some brands are doing that more literally than others. You're thinking of LEGO Ideas, right? Lucas: Exactly. LEGO Ideas is probably the most famous example of crowdsourced product design. It's a platform where fans submit their own designs, other fans vote on them, and if a design hits ten thousand supporters, LEGO reviews it for production. Since it launched in 2008, it's produced over fifty sets. The NASA Apollo Saturn V rocket is the poster child — a fan design that became one of LEGO's most successful sets ever. Luna: And what's the actual revenue on something like that? I've heard it's pretty staggering. Lucas: The Saturn V set alone reportedly generated over ten million dollars in sales in its first year. And LEGO Ideas sets overall have a strong track record. But the real magic isn't just the money — it's the community. When a fan's design gets made, that fan becomes a lifelong advocate. They've got skin in the game. Luna: Right, and that's something smaller brands are trying to replicate. You see these Instagram and TikTok contests where brands ask followers to design a new colorway or a limited-edition label. Lucas: Yeah, and it's a smart play if you do it right. But here's the catch: opening up design to the public isn't as simple as posting a prompt and waiting for gold. There are real mechanics and risks. And that's what I want to dig into today — how brands can actually pull this off without getting burned. Luna: Let's start with the mechanics. LEGO Ideas has a pretty structured process. But a lot of brands go in without a clear framework. What's the first thing they get wrong? Lucas: The biggest mistake is not defining the constraints. LEGO Ideas works because there are strict rules — no existing IP, no licensed characters, and designs have to be built with actual LEGO bricks. That keeps the flood of submissions manageable and relevant. A brand that just says, 'Design our next sneaker,' is going to get a thousand wild ideas, most of which are unusable. Luna: So you need guardrails, but not so many that you kill the creativity. That's a tension. Lucas: Exactly. And there's also the IP question. If you open up design submissions, you're potentially creating a legal minefield. Who owns the design? If a fan submits something that looks a lot like your next product, and you use it without permission, you're in trouble. Luna: That's why a lot of brands stick to contests with official rules that assign IP ownership to the brand. But that can feel coercive to fans. There's a delicate balance. Lucas: Yeah, and I think the brands that nail it are the ones that treat fans like partners, not free labor. LEGO Ideas gives credit to the designer, shares a portion of the royalties, and the community gets a sense of co-creation. That's a far cry from a small brand that runs a contest and just takes the winning design. Luna: And you see that on social media — the brands that transparently credit winners and show the process tend to get better engagement next time. Word spreads. Lucas: Let's take a quick honest beat here. You know, we're able to dig into these kinds of stories every day because a handful of listeners chip in monthly over at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's literally what keeps this show ad-free and independent. Luna: Yeah, it's a small group, but it genuinely makes a difference. And we're always grateful for that. Lucas: So back to the design process. There's another element that's often overlooked: the voting mechanism. LEGO Ideas uses a public voting system, which builds excitement and creates a sense of momentum. But it also introduces a popularity contest dynamic. The best design might not win — the design with the most passionate fanbase does. Luna: And that's actually a feature in some ways, because you want to produce something that already has a built-in audience. A set that gets ten thousand votes is almost guaranteed to have buyers. Lucas: Precisely. And that's the beautiful feedback loop. The crowd isn't just designing the product — they're validating the market. You're de-risking the launch before you even spend a dollar on manufacturing. Luna: So what's a concrete example of a smaller brand pulling this off successfully? Not LEGO scale. Lucas: There's a craft beer company that ran a label design contest on Instagram. They got hundreds of submissions, and the winner got their design on a limited-edition can. The result? The cans sold out in days, and the winner became a brand ambassador. That's a low-cost, high-engagement move. Luna: And the cost was basically a few free cases of beer and the prize. That's a lot of earned media for a tiny budget. Lucas: Exactly. And that's why we're seeing more brands experiment with this. But there's a dark side. If you don't manage the process well, you can end up with a PR disaster. Imagine a contest where the winning design is accused of plagiarism, or the brand rejects all submissions and the community feels cheated. Luna: How do you avoid that? Is there a playbook for running a crowd-design campaign that doesn't backfire? Lucas: First, set clear and realistic expectations from the start. Tell people what you're looking for, what the judging criteria are, and what happens if you don't pick a winner. Second, have a legal team review your submission terms. And third, be prepared to actually follow through — if you promise to produce the winning design, do it. Nothing kills trust faster than a contest that ends with a 'thanks for participating' and nothing else. Luna: So it's about sincerity, not just engagement metrics. The brands that treat this as a genuine co-creation opportunity, not a marketing stunt, are the ones that see long-term loyalty. Lucas: Right. And I think the psychology here is really interesting. When someone contributes to a product's design, they experience what psychologists call the IKEA effect — they value the product more because they invested labor into it. That's a powerful driver for repeat purchases and word of mouth. Luna: And it's not just about the final product. The community that forms around the design process can outlive the product itself. People who bonded over voting for a particular design might stick around for the next campaign. Lucas: Absolutely. That's the real asset here — not the single product, but the ongoing relationship. LEGO Ideas isn't just a product line; it's a community platform that keeps fans engaged year-round. And for smaller brands, even a one-off contest can spark a micro-community that becomes a loyal customer base. Luna: So the takeaway for marketers? Don't just ask for feedback on a product — ask for the design itself. But do it with a framework, legal clarity, and a genuine commitment to honoring the community's input. Lucas: Yeah, and I'd add: start small. You don't need a multi-year platform like LEGO Ideas. A simple design contest for a limited-edition version of your product can be a great first step. Just make sure you're ready to handle the influx of enthusiasm — because if you're not, you could end up with a customer service nightmare. Luna: That's a good point. The more open you are, the more you have to scale your moderation. But the upside is real. I'm curious to see how this evolves as more platforms build native tools for co-creation. Lucas: For sure. And maybe that's a good question for our listeners: have you ever participated in a brand's design contest? Did it make you feel more connected to the brand? I'd love to hear about it. You can find us on social — we're on all the platforms we talk about.