Nowadays, we all have a device within reach that we spend a lot of our time on and that is also a tool for playing games. The Snake that Nokia had and that we have all become addicted to, the famous Candy Crush and even the most recent Pokémon Go are just a small example of how we also play with our mobile phones. Anyone can play at any time thanks to smartphones and games, in addition to being fun, can become another marketing tool thanks to gamification marketing.
What is gamification marketing and how it benefits your company
In 1896, the S&H Green Stamps company sold stamps to retailers, who used them to reward their most loyal customers. In 1973, Charles Coonradt's company introduced the so-called "Game of Work," where employee feedback was obtained by practicing sports at work. In 1981, American Airlines introduced the first loyalty program for travelers, in which those who flew most frequently were rewarded. And although it was Nick Pelling, a British video game programmer, who coined the term gamification in 2002, each and every one of the previous companies already used gamification marketing in their strategies.
If we translate “gamification” literally, we would be talking about gamification, which is the implementation of playable mechanics in contexts other than a game. If we are talking about gamification marketing, we are talking about the application of those characteristics or mechanics similar to those of games in marketing that can be applied to both digital marketing and offline actions.
The goal is not only to entertain our users, but to involve them and get more interaction from them. As a company, gamification manages to increase engagement, generates a large amount of data through interactions between users and the system, and achieves a very interesting dynamic for our social networks, for example.
It also increases brand loyalty, which is very beneficial now that competition is fiercer than ever, and it is easier and more affordable to implement than it may seem.
Gamification can be used to reward users or to present our products in a more original way , as Balenciaga did for example with its video game Afterworld: The Age of gambling data brazil phone number Tomorrow , which became the excuse to present its next autumn-winter 2021 collection in a different, interactive way, accessible to everyone.
But it is not a concept that is used only for the user; it can also be a powerful corporate tool. It can serve to motivate workers, make their work more attractive, create an environment of trust and encourage participation.
How to apply gamification marketing in our strategy
Identify who you are addressing
As with any other marketing strategy, we need to study our target audience . We know that speaking to a group of 15-year-olds obsessed with TikTok is not the same as speaking to a group of parents at school. It is vital to know where any action will be directed in order to adapt it to the recipient. Think of a film, for example the Korean one “Parasites”. If you watch it in its original version and you don’t know the language, you will most likely end up turning it off, no matter how good it is. But if you watch it subtitled or dubbed in your language, it will surely captivate you and you will receive everything the film wants to give you. The same thing happens with any marketing strategy, we will have to “adapt the language” so that it reaches our objective.
Simplify the concept
Architect Mies Van der Rohe was so right when he said that less is more. This phrase should be tattooed on the arm of every designer in the world and is of course applicable to gamification marketing. It uses a simple concept, especially to start with.
Let's take an example of a successful gamification using a simple concept: Foursquare. It was born as a social network that incorporated game elements and its operation was very simple. Every time you indicated your position, you were given points and, with their accumulation, medals. You could even become the "mayor" of a place if you accumulated enough points in the same place. Imagine the amount of data it collected and how practical it could be for them as a company.
You don't need to make a role-playing game with hundreds of characters for gamification marketing to work. Remember, less is more.
Nostalgia is always a good idea
Nostalgia is a powerful emotional concoction on a psychological level. It evokes memories of our childhood or youth, which is why there are now companies creating arcade games that remind us of the Donkey Kong that millennials used to play as children. One example is Miu Miu, which has created games like the one launched with its Twist perfume , starring Elle Fanning. In it, the actress runs around the backstage collecting perfumes. In this case, the objective seems purely playful, but it is an emotional way of connecting with the user, with their inner child, in a positive way.
Create rewards that interest
McDonalds has been using gamification marketing for years in one of its most famous campaigns, the Monopoly campaign, which has been in use since the 80s. It is exactly that, a Monopoly adapted to the fast food giant. The big prizes are few and far between, but you can win free fries with your next purchase that will encourage you to go back for dinner there next Sunday.
Another example is Starbucks, which uses a rewards program. For every purchase in the establishment, you receive a series of points that you can then redeem for free products. And in case you were wondering, it works. According to Forbes , “in 2019, Starbucks attributed 40% of its total sales to the program.”
This same type of gamification marketing is especially easy to apply for companies like Carrefour or Lidl, but it can also be used by local businesses like your local bookstore or the coffee shop on your way to work. It is easy to implement and has very positive return results, both for regular customers and for getting one-time customers to become recurring ones.
The most important thing is that the prizes or rewards you offer can be of interest to your current or future customers.
Generates competitiveness among users
We like to win, it's a euphoric feeling that overwhelms us even when we play cinquillo with our cousins in the village at Christmas. Offering badges, trophies and meaningful prizes will create a sense of competitiveness that will keep people always hooked, especially if the game is fun and allows you to "challenge your friends." The Apple Watch and its fitness app use this as a lure for workouts, which you can compare with other friends who have the smartwatch. And there is no prize as such, just virtual medals, but the joy of getting them is real.
Rewards should be interesting so that the user wants to win the prize and encourages their contacts to participate. An example: you are a gym manager and you want to implement a gamification strategy for your users. You can create a strength training challenge program that challenges your users to different levels of weight and repetitions and, upon completion, offers them a reward that increases in value. From a smoothie at your local fruit bar to a grand prize that could be a free physiotherapy session.
This competitiveness is also applicable internally in your company, using it as a corporate tool. For example, Cortefiel offers a 100 euro voucher to spend in its stores to the employee who uses the most membership cards in a month in the Community of Madrid. A win-win because it stimulates the competitiveness of employees and also does so with a gesture that benefits them at the company level thanks to the cards. And they only invest 100 euros, which has an impact on the results of more than 20 stores.
Be creative with your game and your prizes
Originality and creativity are essential in marketing , as well as in this type of strategy, both in the game mechanics that you want to apply to your business and in the rewards that your users will receive.
Prizes can be adapted to any type of business, whatever it may be. Even an agency is fertile ground for gamification. And although the classic is xi and never goes out of fashion, don’t be afraid to innovate. Instead of the classic hotel nights for clients who have visited you five times in the last year, how about a scratch card for each of your guests? You can get the classic “keep playing” or prizes such as a bottle of champagne in the room, a premium drink at the hotel bar or a night in the best suite.
The same goes for gamification itself. You can dare to create a mini-game in your mobile taxi service application that is a Mario Kart-style race with other users. The one with the best score throughout the week will be the winner of a 10 euro gift voucher for their next trip.
It is even possible to collaborate with other brands and departments. For example, H&M prepares an exclusive collection with an internationally famous graffiti artist, but only the first 100 people to reach a certain number of points in the new game installed in its application will be able to enter the pre-sale and get those exclusive designs with a 40% discount. Users see the action on social networks (both from the artist and the clothing brand), download the app and subscribe, which generates very interesting leads for the future.
And don't worry, because Game over will never be in your vocabulary if you surround yourself with a good team that isn't afraid to take risks and create something fun and that gives your company the opportunity to grow in a different way.
