Many of our planet’s resources are threatened. Yet energy demand is expected to double by the decade’s end. What if, rather than "business as usual," a company looked beyond its walls and familiar friends?

What if a big company sought and invested in big ideas for sustainable technology - regardless of their source?That’s exactly what GE did. The company’s ecomagination program was founded to bring the best ideas in sustainable, environmentally friendly energy to market from anywhere on the planet.

In July 2010, GE launched the $200MM ecomagination Challenge.

The vision: to infuse "eco" with new relevance by finding solutions outside the company. The strategy: an online community for idea sharing and funding competition.In 10 weeks, the Challenge broke records for an open innovation campaign. It generated 4,000 ideas and connected more than 70,000 thinkers from 150+ countries. Innovators told compelling stories using blogs, video and infographics. Collaboration was fostered at a series of global events.The Challenge created a $20B market opportunity for GE. GE proved its commitment to a clean energy transformation and spotlighted thinkers around the world.

GE launched the ecomagination Challenge at a San Francisco event. Influencers in cleantech, venture capital and energy discussed bringing innovation to market and the power of partnerships between big, small, public and private organizations.

An amplification campaign of video posted on YouTube, company blog entries, targeted media/blogger outreach, social media, and data visualizations (of entries by popularity) maintained momentum between events.

Because this campaign was about innovation in and outside the company, GE provided compelling video and graphic content, then stepped back and allowed individual entrants and bloggers to interpret the Challenge in a unique voice.Nearly five months later, GE invited stakeholders to New York City to discuss the company’s success converting innovation into clear business results.

At this same event, GE announced the results of the ecomagination Challenge: 18 winners and new business partnerships.

The events secured 245+ attendees, 50 journalists, and more than 10,000 online and mobile viewers.

More than 100 stories appeared, 750+ unique social media conversations were started, and there have been upwards of 150 re-tweets and clicks of ecomagination Twitter content.

Fast Company magazine reported that the ecomagination Challenge was "good for GE, and it's good for us; the company is one of the largest and most important investors in clean energy.""StefanieM" tweeted: "Gives me hope: GE's ecomagination challenge crowdsourced 3,844 ideas for clean energy in just 90 days. A better future comes flying at us!"In 10 weeks, the Challenge generated nearly 4,000 ideas and connected 70,000 thinkers from 150+ countries - a new record in an open innovation campaign.Olaf Groth of the Monitor 360 research group called GE’s approach "authentic…The difference with GE is the understanding that it’s a win-win situation…if we all embrace open innovation."