The backers are investors, not consumers...
Well, investors would be able to make a profit. Backers only have the chance to get the product for a "reduced" price and some overpriced perks.
Actually, the price reduction is also not existant most of the time. In the end, backing makes only sense to support a project which would not make it without backing or to get a product which is not available elsewhere.
You convinced me that backers aren not investors.
But backers are not consumers either.
For all I know a backer could also be an organisation that is willing to support a good project the creator of the Kickstarter wants to do.
But "supporter" is not the correct term either, because supporting something does not need to involve giving money.
Right.
Invest - to put money to use, by purchase or expenditure, in something offering potential profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.
This is clearly not happening in crowd sourcing. The closest action is actually a purchase. People (pre)pay money with the promise to receive some goods of some kind. Just as any mail order, but with the difference that the products on KS/IGG doesn't exist yet, but it's still a purchase.
Your argument seem to fail here because the backer doesn't
have to choose a perk that involves receiving a physical item (or even a service for that matter).
In that case you often get the right get your name on a website or some poster. Sometimes you only get the right to read the "for backers only" updates.
Wouldn't call that purchasing.
You can opt to receive some perk when you put in the minimum amount of money for that type of perk
The perk does doe not even have to be a tangible thing or service. You could be in for that "good feeling" that gives you.
There is no obligation to claim that perk. In that case I would call it a donation.
I also have a lot of trouble to see where
buying fits in with the following possibilities you
could have as a backer.
- Have some saying in the properties of the product
- Motivating the creator to change their approach or product.
- Having the option to have your name listed as a backer on their website.
- etc. etc.
I think the term
sponsor would be more appropriate. You actually sponsoring the creator to
pursue their project. I used the word pursue, because there is no guarantee their project will be finalized as predicted.