Open Innovation Widget -- Fellowforce creates open line between users and companies

As of today organizations can integrate an widget into their websites to enable consumer-generated innovation, a solution to solicit ideas, suggestions and innovation proposals.

The widget has been developed by FellowForce. Their founder and Head of Marketing, Ruben Robert, will be a presenter at the MCPC 2007 conference.

In a press announcement, Jeff Crites from Fellowforce North America explains:

"We started our platform for Open Innovation two months ago, and since then we've received ideas and suggestions for leading brands worldwide. The idea for this new service is due in large part to a submission in our own innovation box. A Fellowforce 'Fellow', Marcel Heinkens of the Netherlands, suggested we offer an Open Innovation widget for websites. Today, four weeks later, we're introducing the 'Innovate Us' button, enabling any business to welcome ideas from a global force of innovators".

The 'Innovate Us' button is like a 'Digg-this' application for innovation, empowering and encouraging consumers to submit ideas to company controlled (Fellowforce enabled) innovation boxes. "We prefer to call them Innovation Boxes because consumer participation is more than just a feedback tool", adds Crites, "it's a driver for innovation. And for companies, this is like having a souped-up RSS aggregator to manage idea feeds."

What is the effect of such a widget?

Well, I think it is not largest innovation of innovation. But it is a great signal that companies are taking their users more and more seriously. Companies are making a statement that they believe in open innovation and value ideas from the outside. And I am curious to hear on Ruben's MCPC 2007 presentation how this will
work out.

Context: Have a look in the updated MCPC 2007 program to find more then 20 other presentations on open innovation: http://www.mcpc07.com/draft_program_MCPC2007.pdf