Have you heard the tales of the Crowdsourceress? Real name Alex Daly, Crowdfunding success rate: 100%. She’s the brains behind Vann Alexandra, a client based service that brings campaigns to the likes of Indiegogo and Kickstarter. And the company's next port of call is bringing design campaigns to life, fully funded and ready to hang on your wall.
Some of Vann Alexandra’s most successful crowdsource ventures include Pono Music, Neil Young’s mission to provide the best listening experience for digital music, which was 778% funded. Other notable ideas include The Leader’s Guide by Eric Ries, as well as a new TLC album and a Joan Didion documentary. Big names, getting some big bucks. Overall, Vann Alexandra have raised more than $9 million.
Their services include video production, copywriting, email messaging, digital marketing and social media – all the things it sure is nice to have a profressionals take care of.
Their latest venture has been 109% funded, with 34 days to go (as of writing this article). It’s a pretty pitch, backing designer Hamish Smyth’s design – a limited edition, attention-to-detail defined alphabetical subway poster. It’s licensed by the MTA, printed in Italy and available in 2 versions exclusively on Kickstarter. Buzzwords galore:
"5.6 million daily riders
7,883 weekday trips
6,383 subway cars
A lot of rats
840 miles of track
468 stations
21 routes
1 poster"
It’s easy to see all the points aligned for a successful campaign. First of all, exclusivity is king. You can’t get these posters anywhere else – so if you want one, you better get donating on Kickstarter. This also includes having exclusive content to build a buzz around your idea, just for backers. As Daly says herself: ““Exclusivity ramps up excitement and forces people to join the campaign if they want the product or service”.
Then, find the fans. Maps of transport systems seem to do extraordinarily well. Target them, make them see that they just can’t live without another poster to emphasise their well-travelled personalities. You should also get specific – give people extra information: “Each poster will make 2 passes through a 6 color press, receiving 6 colors in the first pass, and 5 in the second. Black will be applied last, to avoid smudging as it passes through the press". Finally, make a really great video that'll hook viewers in and have them donating in no time.
It obviously helps if you’re idea is strong and your passion can be conveyed – but one of the key ideas is that you locate and build up your key audience before you even launch the campaign… The PR machine has to be well oiled and ready to go. Or if you have some cash to spend, just call in the Crowdsourceress – girl knows what’s going on. And afterall... it is a pretty nice poster.
