Fellowforce.com introduces 'Suggestion Box 2.0' widget

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS: As of today, organizations can integrate an application into their websites to enable consumer-generated innovation, a first-of-its-kind solution for both SME and multinationals to solicit ideas, suggestions and innovation proposals. The Next.Net, a Business 2.0 blog, calls it “Suggestion Box 2.0.”

Jeff Crites, Fellowforce.com Director/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.”

The basic “Innovate Us” button is free of charge and takes just minutes to install. Companies can upgrade for full facilitation, customization and complete open innovation box solutions. With basic or premium, companies can easily manage ideas from submission to implementation. Consumers can see status reports on their submissions, so the process is transparent between parties. And soon, Fellowforce will launch an Innovation Forum, giving companies the option to take “Innovate Us” ideas into the open for feedback from Fellows.

A number of companies are proud to be early adopters. Mario van Stijn, Marketing & Sales Manager of FloorWindo International: “Our competitive advantage is caused by our ability to continuously innovate. With this button we’re inviting our vendors, end users and others to speed up our business development.” Mindtrek Conference director Jarmo Viteli: “Normally we ask for feedback after our Mindtrek Conference has finished, but with this ‘button,’ we’ll take suggestions before and during the conference as well.” Telme Clothing founder Kevin Shane, a Business Week 2006 “Top 25 Entrepreneur Under 25,” jumped at the chance to use the service. As did Forrest Kolb, CEO of BizzFlip, a free business posting site.

Crites concludes: “With the ‘Innovate Us’ button, companies are making a statement that they take open innovation seriously, and that they value consumers for their ideas in addition to their wallets. Our open innovation platform is the only one geared toward any business, from the smallest to the largest. Companies can post ‘innovation challenges’ on our Challenge Board, and now they can have Innovation Boxes connected to ‘Innovate Us’ buttons on their websites to take full advantage of open innovation. I’m confident many will follow the lead of our early adopters.”