Crowdfunding sites — like Kickstarter and Indiegogo — are not just a great way to raise money for your idea. They drive social conversation and traditional media coverage. I know more than one entrepreneur who used Kickstarter to drive awareness with fundraising as a “nice to have.”
There’s one campaign that’s blowing up (pun intended) on Kickstarter right now. Bunch O Balloons is an invention that fills up and automatically ties up to 100 water balloons in less than one minute. Anyone who has ever thrown a summer party for kids knows that filling and tying water balloons is a major pain. I found out about this product from a neighbor of mine. She and I are planning our end of summer block party and dreading the annual filling of the balloons task. That night, I watched the dollars raised go up by the thousands in a span of under an hour. His original goal was $10,000. Right now, he’s raised more than $660,000.
Equally as impressive is the exposure Bunch O Balloons continues to generate. Everyone from the TODAY Show and People to Business Insider and BuzzFeed can’t get enough of this story.
What’s his secret? It’s not that his video is so entertaining that people are compelled to share it. Or that he has some track record that makes everyone want whatever he comes up with next. It’s that his invention solves a very real pain point. It’s simple, but ingenious. And proof that an exceptional product idea is news value.