Taking the approach of what he calls “brandsourcing” rather than crowdsourcing, Work Labs founder Cabell Harris has launched a new division of the company called Lab Rats. According to the man himself, the new unit solves the quality control issues with crowdsourcing 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.”
Lab Rats will feature 25 “Alpha Rats” comprised of “well-known brand marketers and creative thinkers” and several hundred “Lab Rats”, which consists of VCU Brandcenter grads. Using the term “cheese” for its compensation system (cute), Lab Rats offers a community website, “cheese points” redeemable for merch or cash, compensation for ideas if the client approves and a 10% finders fee for “finding a home for one of Lab Rats intellectual properties.” Bring on the “something reeks” jokes.