Tag Archives: gamification

Gamification & marketing

For many years, marketers and advertisers have used many techniques to inform, guide and even coerce us into action. Their influence has led us into purchases of things big and small, expensive and affordable.

Gamification is gathering momentum purely due to the take up and trends in usage and behaviours of digital savvy consumers.

Gamification in simplest terms is to reward ‘players’ for successfully completing certain tasks/actions. Good game theory when applied well will illicit a follow up / action and even promote repetition. Just like with computer gaming, it was observed that gamers would go to great lengths to complete preassigned tasks/actions if it would enable them to progress to the next level, gain rewards, or beat others. Gamification looks to capitalise on these same rational behaviours but applies them into our everyday transactional lives.

Companies that apply gamification well into their marketing, have been widely successful eg. Google, Nike, Sony, Starbucks, Lion Nathan etc. Most Australian businesses are slow to embrace this type of marketing approach – those that do incorporate treasure hunts in their department stores or looking for mistakes in an authors manuscript in return for prizes and rewards offer up something unique and different may experience short to medium benefits not least of which in share of voice and buzz.  If executed well, the new methods will enrich the consumer experience and enable those daring businesses a chance to stand out from the pack!