Why gamification marketing

Marketing these days is structured around acquiring more leads and updating database information. Any post-game entry of information from a user regarding leaderboards and reward redemption is all done well within the guidelines of the new GDPR structure. With marketing through games running exclusively via online servers, the platform has the ability to accumulate information regarding the user.

To what extent the information field gathers is entirely up to the company and their objectives. When the game gathers all player analytics, the company can utilise this information for other marketing strategies and business purposes. Games are multi-generational and appeal to young and old alike. If a business is looking for a way to appeal to consumers of all ages, games are currently the most accessible stream to reach such a wide network of demographics. These numbers show that the market is vast and varied and when you marry those figures up with the integration of smart devices into daily life, it becomes quite evident that whichever target market a business is aiming for is well within the reach of Gamification.

The psychology behind Gamified Marketing is relatively simple; when customers play a game and earn a reward for their accomplishments it creates a positive emotion that can be linked directly to the brand in question. The qualities of 'Fun' and 'Engaging' associated with games can help to create a positive outlook towards the brand associated with the game. Giving users an outlet to feel accomplishment and earn rewards, thus, reflecting well on any and all related parties.

Even consumers feeling in control when they play a game bodes well for brands. Having the choice to be a participant in an activity as opposed to a video, which can leave consumers feeling somewhat held against their will, can go a long way in users having positive association towards a brand. Most users do no associate games with brand marketing, allowing for most users to unconsciously be receptive to strategically placed branding.

A perfect example of this can be found in the Wheat Thins case study , in which users have 9 seconds of gameplay, collecting falling chips before they are shown a page of Wheat Thins products. This happens every time they play the game. This process of marketing can influence buyer behaviour; the next time a consumer finds themselves shopping for a product associated with the brand in the marketing campaign, they are more likely to purchase the marketed brand due to brand recall.

Much like brand awareness, games disarm users from their aversion to marketing in order to inform them of new products and services from a company. The repetitious play in a campaign with branded imagery allows for users to unconsciously gain an understanding of what the associated brand is attempting to inform them of, whether that be a new product or service. The ever-growing use of AdBlocker software has created billions of dollars in lost revenue for traditional banner and video advertisements across all devices.

Gamification does not fall victim to this statistic whatsoever as an HTML game does not fall within the detectable Ad format of traditional advertising. This means games have a greater chance than banner and video ads of even being acknowledged to exist in the first place. The beauty of Gamify's software being structured around HTML5 is that it can be easily shared across various social media channels with simple links and embedded play buttons.

Social media channels are the best environments to cultivate a competitive and social buzz around your campaign and brand as they have the ability to engage directly with your audience, allow you to respond to any questions or posts directed at the brand, promote game challenges and rewards, along with allowing consumers to praise the successful leaderboard entrants and, finally, allow you to crown a winner at the end of the campaign.

All of these factors attribute to building up a community of competition and play, where players will tag their friends and ultimately bringing more traffic to the game and your brand pages. Consumers today want to do business with brands that they know and trust. When a consumer is able to engage with a company and other users through a game, this registers with the social drive within most consumers and, in turn, creates a positive community outlook towards the brand.

These statistics prove gamification and marketing go together like peanut butter and jelly. Now, back to our initial question.

What are the benefits of gamification in marketing? Want to exceed your sales and marketing goals? Gamify it. For starters, most examples of gamification in business are interactive. Games make everything better. After all, how irresistible is the minigame in Google Chrome that pops up every time a website times out?

In short, people enjoy interactive content and they enjoy playing games. Gamified marketing combines the two. Even something as simple as badges can motivate people to do more. Check out the picture below to see how Dropbox used cute badges to get their marketing team to reach target goals. And guess what. It works! People want to feel a sense of accomplishment. They get to choose how they interact with your content.

Sold on gamified marketing? The spin-to-win discount wheel turns lead generation into a fun game that visitors love. Moreover, the spin-to-win optin stands out. You choose what prizes you want to give and how many wheel slices to include. You can add anything from discounts to special offers and free shipping.

Use OptinMonster to integrate our ready-made wheel template into your marketing campaign. Feel free to use it as is, or customize your wheel any way you see fit. Starbucks applies gamification techniques through its loyalty program My Starbucks Rewards as a way to increase customer engagement and ensure repeat business. Customers can then redeem these stars for specific items or prizes.

Other unique rewards, such as a free birthday beverage and free refills, become available as customers earn more stars. Those who reach gold status stand to reap the best rewards. In this example, Starbucks provides incentives to gives consumers a sense of achievement and reinforces the idea that if they are loyal to the company, they will be rewarded.

Players are rewarded with a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for any food item. Conveniently, customers can play the game and receive rewards all on their mobile devices.

The reward encourages consumers to play the game, stay engaged with the company, and purchase more, while the game itself reinforces the brand message of using healthy, real ingredients as opposed to artificial colors and flavors.

This is another gaming example that provides an opportunity for customers to interact with the brand while bringing attention and buzz to the company. The personal data they collect is useful for enhancing their targeted content marketing campaigns.

The NikeFuel app can be linked to social media, which enables users to share and compare accomplishments. Trophies and badges are awarded to those who reach milestones and achieve athletic accomplishments, which further encourages consumers to use their products and seek more rewards.

Target employed gamification marketing that was focused on children with their Wish List app. They combined gamification with their Target Registries technology to create an interactive shopping list.

They drag-and-drop desired toys to build their holiday wish list and then send the completed list to Santa.