Why nutty Kickstarters succeed

There's a reason people want to give Zack Brown money to make potato salad. Or several reasons.

Some of the kookiest crowdfunding ideas are often the most successful. For example, in 2011, one artist raised $854 to build the world's largest jockstrap. Another Kickstarter campaign looking to raise $8 to graph the deliciousness of a Chipotle chicken burrito met its goal 131 times.

So, what are the keys to success? According to NPR social media reporting, experts provide some of the following reasons: They peak to a specific online community; they grab attention, and often humor is involved; they appeal to a sense of wanting to belong; they appeal to a sense of generosity; and they are off-beat. Society has a long history of supporting unusual or novel ideas such as the Pet Rock, experts say.

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