Gamification is becoming an increasingly popular method of digital marketing from business to customers. However you may be wondering if this approach is suitable or effective for your market, this blog will investigate firstly what Gamification is, followed by the benefits as well as some examples of how companies have used it to their advantage.
Gamification is a new movement to create effect in non-game fields by applying game mechanics and game thinking that is fun and usually involves points, levelling-up, ranking, achievements, competition, and reward. A core Gamification strategy is rewards for players who accomplish desired tasks. Some techniques used in this approach include adding meaningful choice, onboarding with a tutorial, increasing challenge, and adding narrative. (Park & Bae, 2014)
Gamification Model
(Teh, 2015)
Mechanics refers to the elements that comprise Gamification.
Measurement refers to how progress in Gamification is evaluated.
Reward refers to the types of incentives given to ‘players’ for fulfilling a requirement or task in the ‘game’.
Behaviour refers to the desired actions which ‘players’ will cultivate as a result of playing the ‘game’.
Four Reasons Gamification is the future of Digital Marketing (Manion, 2016)
- It panders to the new generation
Gamified content gives millennials a form of interaction that they don’t often see and it gives this new generation the interaction they will demand.
2. It allows for continuous interaction
Gamification offers the same rewards and exposure without the constant publishing. The Nike Fuel Campaign is a good example of this, the product is a wristband that tracks the users activity throughout the day by pairing with a mobile device. Based on users activity, they were able to unlock achievements, challenge friends, and share their progress. This lead to continuous engagement with the product and with the brand. Not to mention, that by encouraging users to exercise regularly, Nike promoted the use of their other products.
3. It offers unique promotional opportunities
In 2002, the U.S. Army released its first game “America’s Army” to attract new recruits. The game is a first person shooter that allows users to navigate advanced Army maneuvers while gaining insight into the demands of life as a soldier. The game attracted millions of new recruits and continues to be the Army’s number one tool for recruitment.
4. It’s new
The days where businesses can get by on minimal digital engagement are long behind us. Soon everyone will have a presence in social media marketing and when everyone is doing it, we are going to need to differentiate ourselves and Gamification is the key.
Gamification in action
Heineken US Open Instagram contest
During the 2013 US Open, Heineken launched a “Crack the US Open” contest. Marketers put together more than 200 photos to compose a mosaic showing a tennis match audience. Consumers had to follow clues included in photo captions, reach the final photo, leave a comment and win game tickets. As a result, Heineken noted an impressive 20% increase in follower number on their @Heineken_US account and enjoyed a lot of exposure as one of the main US Open sponsors.
M&M’s Eye-Spy Pretzel
The event was composed of many different parts – among them a simple eye-spy game. The brand published a large graphic full of M&M’s on its Facebook account. The task of users was simple – find the tiny pretzel hidden among the candy. The game was met with great enthusiasm – it quickly went viral, generating lots of noise on social media.
Gamification can really serve many objectives and if properly conducted, it can boost a company’s performance or reputation and help the brand skyrocket on social media.
Further Reading
References
Ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.co.uk. (2015). Gamification Of Learning. [online] Available at: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/gamification-of-learning.html [Accessed 21 May 2017].
Manion, C. (2016). 4 Reasons Gamification is the Future of Digital Marketing. [online] Mindscapesolutions.com. Available at: https://www.mindscapesolutions.com/blog/4-reasons-gamification-is-the-future-of-digital-marketing [Accessed 8 Jun. 2017].
Park, H. and Bae, J. (2014). Study and Research of Gamification Design. [online] International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications. Available at: http://www.sersc.org/journals/IJSEIA/vol8_no8_2014/3.pdf [Accessed 19 May 2017].
Smart Insights. (2015). Gamification as a content marketing tactic – Smart Insights. [online] Available at: http://www.smartinsights.com/content-management/content-marketing-creative-and-formats/gamification-as-a-content-marketing-tactic/ [Accessed 8 Jun. 2017].