gamification marketing case study

Gamification in marketing: The complete playbook (+ examples)

Steve Rogers / 20 September 2023

There’s a goal that every marketer aims for but only a few truly master—engaging their audience and turning casual browsers into loyal customers. The strategies are laid out, the targets are set, and you’re all set to engage your customers like never before.

Too often, conventional marketing techniques fail to engage audiences the way you want. Many marketers rely on tried-and-tested methods, deploying the same email campaigns, social media posts, or advertisements. This can lead to stagnant customer relationships.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

We’re diving deep into the world of gamification in marketing. Explore how to turn your marketing campaigns into interactive games, understand the psychology behind it, learn from the brands that have aced it, and get equipped to bring your marketing strategy to the next level.

In the following sections, we’ll cover:

• What is gamification in marketing and why does it matter?
• The top 5 benefits of gamification in marketing
• Gamification in marketing real-life examples
• Gamification strategies across the customer lifecycle
• How to implement gamification in digital marketing
• Amplifying content marketing with gamification
• How to choose a gamification provider 

Let’s get into it. 👇

What is gamification (and why does it matter)?

Remember those childhood days when everything was a game? From chores to studies, turning tasks into a playful challenge made everything more exciting. Now, imagine if you could recapture that magic and apply it to your marketing strategy. That’s the power of gamification in marketing. 

It’s not about creating games for marketing; it’s about applying game mechanics to your marketing efforts. Points, badges, challenges, leaderboards—these are not reserved for video games anymore. They’re tools in the marketer’s playbook designed to engage, motivate, and reward customers.

🌐The evolution of gamification in business and marketing

The seeds of gamification were sown long before smartphones. Remember those loyalty punch cards at your favourite coffee shop? That was gamification in its most primitive form. But with technology’s advancement and the rise of social media, gamification has grown from a novel idea to a mainstream marketing strategy. 

No longer confined to loyalty programs, brands are using gamification to increase engagement, improve user experience, drive sales, and build communities. It has turned marketing into a two-way interactive experience, making customers active participants rather than passive recipients.

❓Why Gamification?

We live in an era of information overload. Ads are everywhere. And attention spans are shrinking. The question then becomes how can your brand stand out in this crowded marketplace? Enter gamification.

By turning marketing into a game, you’re not just selling a product; you’re providing an experience. You’re tapping into the human desire for achievement, competition, and reward. 

You’re speaking the language of fun, and who can resist that?

Why gamification works

Let’s face it; we all love games. They challenge us, reward us, and most importantly, entertain us. It’s all about the psychology of gamification…

🧠The psychology behind gamification in marketing

Ever wondered why collecting rewards points at your favourite store feels so satisfying? Or why completing a challenge on a brand’s mobile app is fun? It’s not magic; it’s psychology.

• Engagement: Gamification triggers engagement by turning mundane tasks into exciting challenges. Suddenly, writing a review or sharing a post becomes rewarding.
• Motivation: By offering incentives like points, badges, or discounts, gamification fuels motivation. It drives people not only to purchase but to interact with the brand in a more engaging way.
• Social connection : Leaderboards and community challenges help create connection and competition. It’s not just about winning; it’s about being part of a community of like-minded players.
• Reward and recognition: Who doesn’t like being rewarded? The thrill of earning something, even if it’s a virtual badge, triggers a positive emotional response. And recognition fuels loyalty.

So, why does gamification appeal so much? It’s simple: It speaks to our inner child, the one who loves to play, explore, and win. 

But what about the benefits… 

Benefits of gamification in marketing 

There are huge benefits to using gamification in marketing. Here’s some of the key benefits our clients have found:

• Personalised experience: By tracking progress, preferences, and achievements, gamification offers a personalised experience. Your customers aren’t just a part of the crowd; they’re stars in their game.
• The data collected from gamified interactions is a goldmine: Zero-party data provides deep insights into consumer behaviours and preferences, enabling you to deliver more personalised and impactful marketing campaigns. ( More on this here )
• Not all customers are created equal: Gamification allows for varying levels and types of engagement that can be personalised to individual preferences. Whether it’s a casual shopper who appreciates an occasional discount code or a power user who seeks exclusive content, gamification can be tailored to meet different needs, elevating customer satisfaction.
• It builds trust : Trust isn’t won in a day, but with consistent and fair game mechanics, your brand can earn customer trust over time. In a best practice gamified system , the rules are clear, the objectives are transparent, and the rewards are tangible. This clarity builds trust, as customers know exactly what to expect and how to engage with your brand. 
• Develop long-term relationships: Gamification isn’t a one-time fling. It’s a relationship builder. By keeping the game exciting and rewards flowing, you encourage customers to stay engaged long-term.
• Enhanced customer engagement: Engagement isn’t just about getting likes and clicks; it’s about meaningful interactions. Through gamification, you can transform passive audiences into active participants, enriching the customer’s journey with your brand.
• Increased loyalty and customer retention: Maintaining a loyal customer base is a cornerstone for any brand. Gamification encourages ongoing engagement, building long-term relationships and turning one-time customers into repeat buyers.
• Higher conversion rates: Gamification adds a layer of excitement to the consumer journey. By turning tasks into ‘missions’ that offer rewards, you can elevate the user experience, encouraging more conversions and ultimately boosting sales.
• Strengthened brand awareness and social proof: Finally, gamification is naturally shareable. Achievements and rewards can be easily shared on social media, enhancing your brand’s social proof and extending its reach in the digital landscape.

As you can see, gamification is a proven, powerful tool that can elevate your marketing from ordinary to extraordinary. It’s about transforming customers into loyal fans, products into exciting quests, and your brand into a memorable experience.

📚Read more: Why use gamification in marketing the top benefits

Gamification in marketing examples and case studies

Now that we’ve looked at the benefits, let’s explore real-world examples of marketing gamification. Whether it’s a multinational corporation or a charity, these brands have turned their marketing game into a winning streak.

Successful stories: Brands that nailed gamification

HH Global –  pet care brand

The challenge was for HH Global to capture vital pet information from thousands of pet owners on behalf of a global pet care brand. So they joined forces with 3radical to develop a solution for their client to both capture the initial attention of the brand’s consumers and then provide a compelling reason for consumers to share pet information.

Gamification approach

HH Global decided to deploy a pet-themed “Advent calendar” and survey, powered by 3radical’s audience engagement platform. After clicking through from an email invite, consumers were presented with an initial survey pertaining to their pet. 

Upon completion of the survey, consumers were able to immediately access the “Advent calendar” game. In real-time, the recently captured pet data was used to present each pet owner with a different version of the calendar, with content personalised for cat owners, dog owners, or owners of both types of pets.

The brand’s consumers were then able to engage with the calendar repeatedly over the course of the next twelve days. On each occasion, consumers were able to open calendar doors to reveal rewards that they could choose to either claim or ignore.

The brand tested its audience’s responsiveness to different concepts of value by including a range of different reward types, such as prize draw entries, product discount coupons, and pet ‘hints and tips’ video content.

To add an additional element of surprise and delight, on a number of days, the campaign was also configured to randomly select a handful of consumers to win a number of special prizes, such as six months’ worth of free pet food.

• Awareness : The campaign generated email click-through rates 3x higher than for   typical communications within the sector.
• Engagement : Over 25% of the audience returned to the Advent calendar on at least   eight unique days during the campaign. Additionally, on average 44%   proceeded to click through to engage with further website content.
• New insights : The brand added ‘known pet’ information to an additional 5% of its  consumer base.
• Earned data : 63% of consumers where survey completion was not mandatory still   chose to respond, illustrating they viewed answering the survey to access rewards as a fair value exchange.
• Sales : The campaign led to the successful distribution of thousands of promotional coupons, providing another compelling reason to choose the pet care brand products over those of their competitors.

📚Read the full case study here .

Visit Scotland

VisitScotland had an existing pool of prospective vacationer contact information, but they were keen to further increase the size of this database. The organisation also frequently lacked the necessary customer profiling information to connect the right prospects with the most appropriate travel itineraries. 

Plus, VisitScotland were looking for a way to amplify the effectiveness of their outbound marketing activities. By encouraging their contacts to share their plans or experiences with their social networks, they could enable Scotland to be promoted as a holiday destination to both a wider and younger audience.

To meet these requirements, 3radical and VisitScotland created an interactive quiz experience that was deployed as responsive web content embedded into the VisitScotland website. Existing contacts and new site visitors were encouraged to provide self-reported data by answering profiling questions that were embedded into a Scottish trivia quiz. 

In return for completing the quiz, users were able to earn entries into a prize draw to win a dream trip to Scotland. Then, after engaging each prospect, they were shown a ‘pop profile’ that described the segment they belonged to, such as ‘Scottish Nature Lovers’ or ‘City Breakers’, based on their responses.

This preference information was then used to send follow-up email communications with suggested travel itineraries appropriate to each segment and designed to convert more prospects into vacationers.

In order to maximise the impact of the campaign, users were able to earn additional prize draw entries by sharing details of the quiz experience with friends and family members via a range of channels, including Facebook, Twitter and email.

• Tens of thousands consented points captured: The quiz was a resounding hit with both previous visitors and new prospects with thousands of people engaging and tens of thousands of consensually earned data points being captured by the campaign.
• Valuable insights : Based on the data provided, VisitScotland was able to determine that the most popular visitor category was ‘City Breakers’, insight the organisation was able to leverage accordingly in follow up communications. Over 90% of respondents reported they were either ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to take a trip to Scotland in the near future, with ‘Outdoor Adventure’ and ‘History and Culture’ being the two main reasons they cited for planning a visit – valuable insight that again could also be incorporated into subsequent outbound marketing activities to help drive visitors to Scotland.
• Valuable data for future marketing: As VisitScotland have already collected this valuable visitor and prospect data, they can now use this to more effectively engage vacationers with targeted messages after the pandemic has subsided.

Michaels, the largest arts & crafts retailer in North America

Email subscribers that have not opened an email from a brand in 9-12 months have a high likelihood of becoming inactive users, and having their emails removed from lists to prevent deliverability issues of marketing communications. Re-engaging with these customers is key, and an email reactivation campaign is an ideal way to retain these users. But how do you manage this so it’s not just another email?

This was the dilemma Michaels faced, affecting 4.8 million email addresses at risk of becoming inactive due to not opening an email from the brand in 9-12 months. This group very likely had brand fatigue due to an excessive communication cadence and would need an enticing reason to re-engage. 

There was also a desire by the retailer to learn more about this group of customers, including their hobbies, why they shopped with the brand, and how they preferred to be communicated with in case email was not their primary choice of communication.

Powered by 3radical’s audience engagement platform, Michaels deployed a holiday-themed “Advent calendar” promoted within a reactivation email. The calendar included a combination of unique events, including incentives to purchase, as well as a progressive data capture mechanism.

Customers received two emails a day for seven days promoting the Advent calendar and inviting customers to take a survey and subsequently receive rewards.

Customers were presented with an initial five-question survey related to their shopping habits, hobbies, and communication preferences with the retailer. Once completed, they were able to access the 7-day holiday “Advent calendar”. 

They could engage with the calendar repeatedly over the course of the next seven days, opening doors to reveal rewards and additional survey question, both of which could be claimed or ignored.

• Reactivated emails : 80,000+ unique emails were reactivated with an estimated $400K value to the brand.
• Engagement: 41% of those that clicked the email engaged with the experience.
• Repeat engagement: 53% of those who engaged with the intro survey continued to engage with more than one day of the advent calendar.
• Mutual value exchange : Customers that visited on 11/13 provided 33% more data than those that visited on 11/7 demonstrating how customers were more receptive to providing data when more doors of the advent calendar were presented.
• Valuable data: 2,500 previously uncapturable unique data points were provided by the respondents to the intro survey and the consequent single question surveys, including who they are, what they’re looking for from the major arts and crafts retailer, and their communication preferences.

Breaking down the game: Why these campaigns worked

So, what’s the secret sauce behind these successful gamification examples? Is it magic? Is it luck? Nope, it’s strategy.

• Understanding the audience: Each of these brands knew their audience and what makes them tick. They didn’t just create games; they created experiences that resonated.
• Clear rules and rewards: No one likes a confusing game. These campaigns succeeded because they had clear rules and tangible rewards.
• Consistent engagement: It’s not just about launching a game; it’s about keeping it alive. Regular updates, new challenges, and consistent engagement were key.
• Integration with brand identity : These weren’t random games; they were extensions of the brand’s identity. The game felt like a natural part of the brand’s world.
• Leveraging the right tech: By leaning on the right experts , these brands were able to create gamification experiences that were high quality, easy to implement, and compliant. 

One thing all these case studies had in common is crystal clear results. Let’s dig into this further in the next section, where we look at how to use gamification to drive online sales across the customer lifecycle…  

How to use gamification across the customer lifecycle 

Gamification and online sales feed off each other’s strengths to create a cycle of engagement that leads to increased revenue. Let’s break down how you can leverage gamification effectively to boost your online sales across the customer lifecycle.

Gamification marketing: 4 winning strategies across the customer lifecycle

Gamification supercharges marketing by driving greater engagement. Here are 4 key ways to leverage it across the customer journey:

✅1. Acquisition

• Use contests and giveaways to motivate signups for opt-ins, newsletters etc. 
• Plus you can try interactive experiences like virtual try-ons to reduce returns and build engagement.
• Case example: Kayser-Roth saw 100%+ increase in opt-ins with a gamified voucher giveaway. (Read the full case study here .)

🔁2. Conversion optimisation 

• Here you can use points, badges, and rewards to motivate purchases and account signups.
• The thrill of “winning” drives higher conversion rates.
• Case example: eBay’s bidding system taps into accomplishment and competition.

🤝3. Retention & loyalty

• For retention, badges, status tiers, and tailored rewards encourage loyalty program activity. 
• Plus, challenges and missions provide a sense of progress and achievement.
• Case example : Matalan gained 4x higher click-throughs with a gamified wheel spin. (Read the full case study here .)

🗝️4. Reactivation

• For reactivation, you could use interactive experiences to re-engage lapsed users.
• And create personalised offers based on past behaviour to grab attention. 
• Case example: Michaels drove 41% engagement with a gamified advent calendar.

In summary, gamification boosts acquisition, conversion, retention and reactivation by motivating users with engaging experiences and rewards. The result is higher marketing ROI across the customer lifecycle.

By incorporating these elements into your online sales strategy, gamification becomes more than just a novelty; it becomes a potent tool for driving revenue. From multi-level reward systems to real-time data analytics, the gamified approach offers many ways to not just engage your customers but to guide them down the path to purchase.

📚Read more: Gamification marketing strategies: How to increase engagement and drive sales

With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at how to implement gamification in digital marketing… 

Implementing gamification in digital marketing

When it comes to digital marketing, capturing and maintaining attention is the name of the game. This is where the right game mechanics and successful implementation can really help.

Implementing gamification in your digital marketing strategy isn’t about simply adding game elements to your existing tactics. It’s about strategically integrating these elements to enhance user engagement, drive desired behaviours, and ultimately achieve your marketing objectives. 

Let’s take a quick look at some implementation best practices.

Best practices for successful implementation:

• User-centric design: Always design your gamification strategy with your users in mind. The game mechanics should resonate with your audience and provide them with a meaningful and engaging experience.
• Balance challenge and reward: The key to a successful gamified experience is to balance challenge and reward. The tasks or challenges should be achievable but not too easy, and the rewards should be valuable enough to motivate users.
• Align with your brand: Ensure that your gamification strategy aligns with your brand image and values. The gamified elements should enhance your brand narrative and not detract from it.
• Keep it simple : While it’s important to create an engaging experience, it’s equally important to keep it simple. Overly complicated game mechanics can confuse users and deter them from participating.

With a thoughtful and strategic approach, gamification can significantly enhance your digital marketing efforts, creating more engaging, rewarding, and memorable experiences for your users.

📚Read more: Implementing gamification in digital marketing: The future of engagement

While gamification is most often applied to digital marketing, one less-known marketing strategy is to use it to amplify content marketing. Let’s take a closer look… 

Amplify content marketing with gamification

Content marketing can sometimes feel like a one-way conversation, especially when you’re aiming for meaningful customer interaction and long-term engagement. But gamification can be a powerful technique to improve engagement and return on investment (ROI) in your content marketing strategy. 

Here are 7 tips to help ensure it delivers results:

1. Keep it simple . It may be tempting to create complex, intricate games but simple rules and mechanics work best. People are more likely to participate if it’s easy to understand how to play. Start small – for example, offer a reward for social media shares instead of a big competition. 

2. Know your target audience . Consider what types of games, incentives and rewards would motivate them specifically. Research the channels and platforms they are most active on. The difficulty should balance motivation and effort. If the game doesn’t provide value for your audience, you won’t get the engagements.

3. Align with marketing goals . If your aim is increasing newsletter sign-ups, the game should direct people to a landing page. If it’s just for entertainment, you may miss conversions.

4. Track ROI metrics. Look at engagement rates, conversion rates, and revenue metrics. Compare to previous campaigns without gamification to see the impact. 

5. Test and optimise . Start small for easier testing. Review which game types, platforms, incentives etc resonate best. The beauty of gamification is that it provides real-time data to tweak campaigns based on performance.

6. Research successful examples . Look at brands with effective gamified content marketing. How did they structure it? What worked well? Adapt ideas to your audience.

7. Promote the campaign. Leverage social media, email marketing, paid ads etc to maximise visibility. A great game needs awareness to succeed.

In summary, gamification can improve marketing ROI by providing fun experiences in exchange for engagement. Keep it targeted, track data, refine over time, and promote for the best results. Start small and build on what resonates most.

Incorporating gamification into your content marketing doesn’t just add a layer of ‘fun’; it adds a layer of effectiveness.

📚Read more: Gamification in content marketing: How to improve ROI

If you’re sold on the benefits of gamification in marketing, it might be time to choose a provider. But how do you know what to look out for? Let’s take a look… 

How to choose a gamification provider (quick checklist)

Choosing the right gamification provider is not just about ticking off boxes; it’s about aligning with a partner that understands your objectives and has the capabilities to help you achieve them. 

So how do you cut through the noise and select the one that’s right for you? Let’s dive in.

Choosing the right marketing gamification platform: 5 key factors to consider

Gamification platforms allow you to quickly create and manage campaigns, but choosing the right partner is crucial. Here are 5 factors to evaluate:

1. Assess the software platform

☑️How robust is it? Can it scale campaigns globally? 

☑️Do they specialise in your industry and audience? 

☑️How is data privacy handled? 

☑️Is there a library of pre-loaded experiences? Relevant to your audience?

☑️Can it adapt based on data and optimise over time?

☑️Does it enable social sharing, surveys, etc to capture data?

☑️Look for a provider that understands the importance of UI/UX. Clunky interfaces or overly complex systems can deter users, negating the whole point of gamification. 

2. Evaluate the feature set

☑️Different providers offer various feature sets designed for different types of gamification strategies. 

☑️Do you need leaderboards, badges, point systems, or complex missions and quests? 

☑️Make sure the provider’s feature set aligns with your objectives and can adapt to your specific needs.

☑️Ensure your provider can deliver a seamless and engaging mobile experience.

3. Understand the costs

☑️What are onboarding and setup fees? 

☑️How much ROI is typical for clients? 

☑️Does it integrate smoothly without draining IT resources?

4. Define data and reporting

☑️What metrics, dashboards, and insights are available?

☑️How does it track and optimise campaign performance?

☑️Your chosen provider should offer comprehensive analytics and reporting tools that help you track key performance indicators (KPIs), user engagement levels, and ROI.

5. Evaluate integrations 

☑️How sophisticated is the platform? 

☑️Does it integrate via API with your existing systems?

☑️Can it provide data extracts?

In summary, the right gamification platform will provide scalability, data-driven insights, and engaging experiences. This drives ROI while improving customer satisfaction. Prioritise capabilities that align to your goals and integrate with current systems.

Choosing a gamification provider is not a task to be taken lightly; it’s an investment in your brand’s future engagement and growth. By considering these critical factors, you can select a provider that not only meets your current needs but also scales with your ambitions.

📚Read more: Marketing gamification software: How to choose a provider

Elevate your marketing strategy with gamification

As we’ve seen, gamification is not just a buzzword; it’s a proven methodology to infuse excitement, drive engagement, and ultimately, deliver business results. From driving online sales and amplifying your content marketing to choosing the right provider that aligns with your objectives, gamification can be the catalyst you need to take your marketing strategy to the next level.

The advantages of implementing gamification are huge—boosting customer interaction, enriching user experience, and generating valuable data, among others. But like any strategic initiative, the effectiveness of gamification hinges on its implementation. 

That’s why it’s crucial to partner with a provider who offers a holistic, customisable, and data-driven approach to gamification.

So, are you ready to turn your marketing campaigns into interactive experiences that your audience won’t just scroll past? Then it’s time to choose a gamification provider that can help you unlock these benefits and more.

Contact us today to find out how we can tailor a gamification strategy that aligns with your brand objectives and delivers measurable results. It’s time to play, engage, and win. Take a look at our quick start package .  Ready to level up? Let’s talk .

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Case study: How Duolingo Utilises Gamification to Increase User Interest

“We created Duolingo in 2011 with a mission to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. I’ve always felt that economic inequality is one of the biggest problems facing humanity, and education is the best way to help most people around the world improve their lives. Our vision is to create a world where more money can’t buy you a better education.” -Luis von Ahn, CEO

Duolingo has grown at an enormous scale, with over 500 million total users and around 40 million monthly active users, representing every country in the world. They offer 98 language courses that teach 39 different languages.

One strategy that does keep Duolingo users coming back for more is their implementation of gamification. If you want to learn more about gamification itself, we have written an extensive blog post about this here . We’ll discuss how Duolingo embraces the trusty Gamification Octalysis Framework.

Table of Contents

Octalysis Framework

The Octalysis framework, created by gamification guru Yu-kai Chou, essentially analyses the forces that drive human motivation and displays how these drives can be harnessed to build engaging and rewarding experiences for a user.

Worded wonderfully by the creator himself, Gamification is “the craft of deriving all the fun and addicting elements found in games and applying them to real-world or productive activities. This is what I call ‘Human-Focused Design’ as opposed to the “Function-Focused Design.” – Yu-kai Chou.

Epic Meaning and Calling

According to the Octalysis Framework, Epic Meaning & Calling is the core drive where a player believes that he is doing something greater than himself or he was “chosen” to do something.

Take the above Duolingo notification examples. Duolingo is notorious for its constant (and almost over the top) notification bombardment. It has even become such a big meme sensation that Duolingo has written about their notification process in a  blog post  discussing ‘the AI behind the meme.’

To some, these notifications might be a total hindrance, but to others, it’s that daily piece of encouragement / a friendly nudge to get back amongst their language learning. It aims to make the user feel valued and wanted on the platform, igniting a sense of ‘calling’ to the user. It can make you feel like you are not only contributing to your own language learning goals but contributing to the Duolingo community as a whole.

Asana also asks for their user’s reason for cancellation, with an ability to select “Other” if they find the options non-applicable to their situation. The examples provided have quite a few options for the user to select, which is good because the more direct and specific the information is that you gather, the more you learn how to improve your services. You are never going to find out a reason without asking “Why?” It can be a daunting task, it can invalidate months and years of work on a particular feature that customers just aren’t a fan of, and it can mean extra work. But if constant iteration and improvement don’t occur from customer feedback, you’ll find yourselves with an inconsequential product.

Development and Accomplishment

Many products allow their users to feel a sense of getting closer to your goal. Achieving it can be provided by breaking your challenge into stages and showing your progress (points, gems, levels and more). Duolingo does not skip this vital step in the gamification process, celebrating every little win with its users. You will notice in the examples below that Duolingo’s iconic bright colours and playful illustrations are used in a positive manner to emphasise that something has been accomplished.

The enthusiastic and positive tone of voice is very prominent amongst these examples as well, with plenty of exclamation marks sprinkled in, ensuring the user feels as accomplished as possible after their action.

They also provide levels of progression and rewards for accomplishment, including:

• Leaderboards and leagues: While these also fall under the Social Influence and Relatedness / Envy Pillar, being promoted or demoted to a particular level can ignite emotions within the user. Being promoted encourages the user to continue excelling, and being demoted encourages them to work even harder to get back to the level they were at. No one likes to be told that their skills are lessening.
• Experience points (XP): Experience points are used in a multitude of online games. It is a simple yet effective way to reward your users.
• Progress bars: Duolingo display a progress bar around each unit topic. This progress bar decreases the longer you leave that unit, as language learning requires constant practise and repetition. The user then feels obliged to revisit that unit to ‘top up’ their progress.
• Streaks: Streaks have become quite a popular tool on social applications, with Snapchat being a prime example. The longer your streak, the more exciting it is. And the more pressure there is not to break it. You are also rewarded if you can prolong your streak.

These are strategically placed within the app to make sure that the user knows that they are progressing. Progression and positive reinforcement in turn lead the user to feel like they’re doing something pretty fantastic here, encouraging them to continue to use the platform.Each screen still allows the user to click “I’m not interested, continue to cancel” which is strategically designed as an outlined secondary button. The messages on each screen are written by members of the Pipedrive team with their names, positions, and profile image included at the top. This may seem small, but it adds a lovely, personal element to the cancellation process and takes on board the “show your support” approach.

Empowerment of Creativity and Feedback

Yu-kai Chou compares this part of gamification to building Lego blocks. A user is engaged in a creative process where they have to try different combinations. Users can then receive the feedback they crave, and be provided with the result of their creativity.

A Duolingo user will inevitably get some questions wrong during their time on the app. While being incorrect can sometimes be projected as something negative, Duolingo takes it as an opportunity to allow its users to learn and grow.

In the first image, when a question is answered incorrectly, a red-coloured pop up appears at the bottom to indicate the incorrectness. Although red can be associated with a more negative / error-like tone, the simplistic design makes it a little less intimidating. This pop up allows you to continue, and it also allows you to flag an error on Duolingo’s behalf, or click the ‘speech bubble’ button and learn about the word further.

The second image advertises Duolingo Plus. The page highlights that the user has made some mistakes in their questions, but that’s okay because Duolingo Plus is here to create a personalised lesson for you to hone in on any weak spots. This is an excellent example of how Duolingo manages to monetise the craving for feedback. If a user were interested in this feature, they would start their two week trial of Duolingo Plus, which would then transition into a paid monthly subscription.

Ownership and Possession

The Ownership and Possession Pillar is based on the principle that because you own something, you want to improve it, protect it, and get more of it. This pillar is often associated with elements such as virtual goods and currencies.

Above are screenshots of a Duolingo user profile and the Duolingo shop. Multiple components on this page utilise the Ownership and Possession Pillar, including:

• Profile picture:  customisation allows the user to feel a closer connection to the product they are using. In this instance, my picture is a sunset photo, but you can add whatever image you wish, allowing users to feel more ownership or pride in their digital persona.
• Streak:  As mentioned in the Development and Accomplishment Pillar, streaks can have an addictive effect and encourage their user to continue using the app so that they can continue to ‘own’ a high streak score.
• XP:  Not only do they provide a sense of progression and accomplishment, but they also provide a sense of ownership from accumulating digital wealth.
• League:  Whilst this falls under the category of development and accomplishment,
• Heart refills – to increase your ‘lives’ when answering questions, so that you don’t have to worry about making mistakes.
• Outfits – emphasising that customisation aspect of Ownership and Possession, outfits are used on lots of online games to provide a sense of uniqueness and possession for the userYou can also buy gems with real money. If you don’t have enough gems on the game to purchase an item of your choice, you can always purchase more. This is also a common feature on a lot of online games / applications.

All of these ownership and possession tactics combine seamlessly to provide a gamified and somewhat addictive experience for a dedicated Duolingo user.

Social Influence and Relatedness / Envy

“Social Influence and Relatedness is a Right Brain Core Drive that bases its success off the common, and sometimes inevitable human desire to connect and compare with one another. When utilised properly, it can serve as one of the strongest and long-lasting motivations for people to become connected and engaged.” – Yu-kai Chou.

Social media utilises this tool as a primary drive for users to interact with their app. Whilst there can be positive aspects to social media, such as connecting with others and sharing your creativity and experiences. It also has some negative implications that are imminent due to human nature, such as judgement, negative comparison by putting others down and unhealthy levels of envy.

Duolingo, whilst not a social media app, utilises the positive aspects of social influence. The app encourages you to invite friends (something that almost every app does nowadays), follow people, check out your friends’ progressions and your place on league leaderboards.

These features allow an aspect of comparison to others on the app which can, when used effectively, encourage the user to continue using Duolingo or interact with it a little more in order to progress alongside their friends.

Scarcity and Impatience

There is a natural human tendency to want what we cannot have. Scarcity and impatience is the drive that motivates us simply because we cannot obtain something immediately, or because there is difficulty in obtaining it. This pillar can sometimes overlap into the Loss and Avoidance Pillar, where users do not want to lose progress or points in case they miss out on something amazing.

There are two screens above that are examples of this particular pillar. Delving into each one:

• “Duolingo’s exclusive club – Duolingo won’t let just anybody in”  – this is a prime example of scarcity. The tone of voice is a prominent tactic in this section, with the term ‘exclusive’ sounding out of reach and desirable. The fact that they ‘won’t let just anybody in’ also makes the user think, “If I get into this exclusive club, then I must be special.”
• “XP Ramp Up Challenge – this event ends in 21 hours.”  – Tapping into a couple of other pillars including Development and Accomplishment and Ownership and Possession, the desire to obtain more XP on this app is highly desirable. It allows you to feel a sense of progression and it also allows you to feel a sense of ownership over this XP. To add to these desirable features, Duolingo has added a time limit to the XP Ramp Up Challenge, so the users only have the next 21 hours to earn bonus XP.

Whilst these are not the only examples on the application that displays the Scarcity and Impatience Tactic, it is evident that this strategy is implemented effectively to drag language learners further in.

Unpredictability and Curiosity

Unpredictability and Curiosity taps into the human desire to find out what happens next. According to Yu-kai Chou, our intellectual consciousness is inherently lazy, and if tasks at hand don’t demand immediate attention, the neocortex delegates the mental legwork to our subconscious mind, or “System 1” according to Economics Nobel Prize winner and psychologist Daniel Kahneman.

The intellectual consciousness only wants to be disturbed when it is absolutely necessary, such as when a threat is present or when the brain encounters new information it hasn’t processed before. Pair a new piece of information with the human desire to explore, and you have this particular Gamification pillar.

Duolingo taps into this pillar when trying to get users to progress to another level. When something is ‘locked’ there is a desire to view and progress to the unknown. In the middle image below, users are given the opportunity to spend some of their gems take a test to skip to the unknown level. Will it be so hard that you will not progress? Or, by chance will you succeed and progress further than before. It is a gamble that many users are willing to take.

Revisiting Duolingo’s paid tier, Duolingo Plus, the below screens are another example of the unknown for a user who is on the free tier. Whilst the benefits are not necessarily ‘unknown,’ they certainly ignite some level of curiosity, a desire to explore these fancy premium features. Iconography and a mature change of colour add a visual level of sophistication, drawing the user in further.

And as a result, as long as there is a chance of reaping benefits, new features or rewards of progression or accomplishment, people are willing to invest small amounts of Duolingo’s digital currency to obtain a gigantic reward.

Loss and Avoidance

The Loss and Avoidance Pillar is simply motivating through the fear of losing something or having undesirable events transpire. It goes hand in hand with Ownership and Possession, where something you once earned could be taken away from you.

The primary example in Duolingo’s product is the use of the Streak feature. Although this has been touched on in the previous pillars, one core drive for withholding your streak is the fear of losing it.

It helps that throughout a user’s journey on the app, positive affirmations and visual celebrations are included when a streak milestone is reached – as you can see in the examples above. This adds to the user’s excitement and pride in their streak.

So when a notification buzzes on a user’s phone, like the one below, panic can set in. In fear of losing this impressive streak, the user will feel more inclined to hop onto Duolingo’s app and reach their daily goal. Using the word ‘alive’ is also strategic as it adds a human factor to the streak itself, adding an element of desperation and igniting emotions within the user, even if they don’t realise it.

Duolingo even takes it to another level – capitalising off this fear of loss. You will notice in the example below that Duolingo can miraculously recover your streak at a small fee. For some, $4.99 could be considered worthwhile, as long as it meant that their beloved streak would return in full force.

Duolingo seeps with this pillar, igniting that primal desire to avoid losing something of value.

Satisfying Different Types of Duolingo Players

An important point to consider when designing a platform that utilises gamification is the fact that no person is the same. People will use your platform for different reasons and in turn have different motives. This means that there will be different player types. Richard A. Bartle, professor and game researcher, classified common player characteristics into 4 different player types: Achievers, Explorers, Socialisers, and Killers.

So, how does Duolingo satisfy each type of player?

Duolingo’s game mechanics (that have been touched on above in the Pillars) are targeted at certain types of users and can trigger them in different ways.

Achievers  focus on points, badges, and statuses, thus, Duolingo targets them with level points, XP points, leaderboard places, and leagues. The progress you achieve is visible to other members of the platform and gives achievers a chance to show off their achievements.

For Explorers  who are more focused on delving into new areas and don’t care a lot about points, the app offers new levels and categories to unlock with each completed level.

For the Socialisers  who are eager to collaborate and achieve goals with friends and other users, Duolingo allow users to follow and track the progress of other learners and their friends.

The Killers  (a smaller group compare to others – about 1%) are quite similar to achievers as they are motivated to earn points and progress, but they focus more on  Winning  and seeing others  Lose . That’s where a leaderboard of sorts comes in handy. They yearn to win and are satisfied by the special values for the first three places on the leaderboard. People who don’t take the first 10 places are demoted to the previous league, which touches on that desire to see others lose.

Duolingo have managed to pave quite a solid foundation for crafting a truly engaging, player-centered design. Utilising all eight pillars of the Octalysis Framework, Duolingo provides a sense of purpose, challenge, clear feedback along the way and creates a fun, voluntary way to learn for hose busy language learners out there.

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Top 10 Marketing Gamification Cases You Won’t Forget (2024)

Click here to view our full list of Gamification examples.

Marketing Gamification is not just in your face. It’s in your head.

As a gamification consultant, I work with many different types of clients and projects in product, workplace, and marketing gamification. As time goes by, an interesting pattern arises based on the help they need from me:

• Smaller startup  clients usually want help with  product gamification. This process has to do with creating a winning product that provides a rather addictive experience, where players naturally want to keep playing.
• Mid-sized companies  enlist my help for  marketing gamification.  The objectives here are to: attract potential new customers within a target market segment and get them actively engaged with their brand and products. This is also more focused on the   discovery phase  in my Octalysis Framework.
• Fortune 500s and large companies usually shift their focus to  workplace gamification.  Their motive is often to train employees (in a way that feels effortless) and to cultivate a greater sense of solidarity within the internal team.

Marketing Gamification: Beyond Basic Loyalty Programs

Many people immediately think of  marketing gamification  as some type of loyalty program. But simply having this in place is not the silver bullet that will automatically solve all your challenges and concerns.

Even with loyalty programs (something that Gabe Zichermann sometimes even refers to as part of the definition of gamification), there are a few ways to do it right, and thousands of ways to do it badly.

In reality, there are vast creative possibilities involved in marketing gamification. To illustrate this, I will present ten classic real-life case examples. These examples are from an older period. Nevertheless, these classic examples remain timeless concepts and are worthy of examination.

Marketing Gamification Example #1: Nike+ Fuelband and Accessories

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4W1KcLAqmA&ab_channel=UnboxTherapy

Nike launched this application in January 2012. And since then it has developed into a popular gamified sport. The company extended itself beyond its comfort zone as a well-known product brand one that actively fosters lifestyle changes by helping its customers keep themselves fit.

The most popular accessory so far is the Nike+ Fuelband, which is a bracelet with special technology that can monitor user movements. Participants must download the Nike+ App. From this point, they can track their workouts. Statistics (like the number of calories burned) are displayed to provide feedback.

Nike+ As Seen Through Octalysis

The strongest Core Drive that the Nike Fuelband utilizes is Development & Accomplishment ( Core Drive 2 ), where they show users daily feedback on how close users are to their daily goals. Also, whenever they hit a goal or have a streak, an animated cartoon character jumps out and starts to celebrate in a hyper manner.

Also, the immediate feedback meets their need to feel CD3: Empowerment & Creative Feedback, another core drive within Octalysis.

Integrating Social Drives

The smart game designers of this product also included a  social dimension to this game which has undoubtedly helped to expand awareness and demand for the Nike Fuelband.

Participants have the opportunity to challenge friends. Here we can see the aspect of CD5: Social Influence & Relatedness   within the Octalysis model. And this provides a great incentive to use this application. In turn, it perpetuates a greater level of momentum in user engagement.

As the points are accumulated based on the distance traveled, the community is aware of who is ranked at the top of the leaderboard. These will be the individuals who trained more and earned a highly developed physique.

This is a very clever way to forge an association between a fit, slender body to Nike’s brand.

Results of the Nike+ Fuelband

In 2011 the number of players using Fuelband was 5 million. This is estimated to reach 11 million by the end of 2013.

Marketing Gamification Example #2: My Starbucks Reward

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKrw2_9mZuI&ab_channel=StarbucksSingapore

Starbuck ‘s philosophy has always been focused on personal service in favor of consumers. Much of their business model is based on ambiance. The inside of each store is characterized by an inviting environment that is hip and upbeat. Customers are enticed to stay longer so that they can sit and enjoy their coffee or espresso.

How My Starbucks Reward Works

The brand used gamification tactics to enhance the Starbucks experience and to boost sales as well. Players register for My Reward through an application. Every time they purchase a Starbucks product, they accumulate stars (which look like cups that are graphically filled in).

But the game does not stop here. There are three “levels” depending on the degree of user loyalty. More frequent visits to a Starbucks store are awarded through an upgraded level. Examples of benefits include an extra cup of coffee, a birthday gift, or even offers designed specially for the customer.

Core Octalysis Drives

Within the Octalysis model, the Core Drive 2: Development & A ccomplishment is a major source of motivation. Another element is O wnership & Possession ( the possibility of receiving virtual goods, which is common to any loyalty program ).

In 2012, the users of My Reward totaled about 4.5 million. The cards alone accounted for $3 billion in sales per year.

Marketing Gamification Example #3: McDonald’s Monopoly Game

McDonald’s succeeded in increasing their product sales by using gamification concepts derived from the classic game of Monopoly.

This promotion dates back to 1987. And it takes place entirely offline. When you buy certain products from McDonald’s, you will receive tickets. Each ticket represents a space on the Monopoly game board. The goal is to collect all the pieces of the same color to be eligible for a prize.

How Compelling Is the Mcdonald’s Monopoly Game?

One loyal customer made a YouTube video about this game and explained:

“ Every October I go through the McDonald’s drive-through just because of this silly game. They got me! ”

The alliance between brands seems to work well: In 2010, McDonald’s increased its sales by 5.6% in the USA through this program, with many people engaged in impulse buying just to get tickets.

Marketing Gamification Example #4: Coca-Cola’s Shake It

Coca-Cola is known to be at the forefront of developing creative and innovative product promotions.

You can see that all their commercials try to turn simple acts of drinking carbonized sugar water into an E pic Meaning & Calling ( Core Drive 1 ) experience through magical kingdoms, happiness, and polar bears (but happy ones instead of the ones from Lost).

Here is an example of one of their campaigns which integrates old media, smartphones, and gamification.

How Coca-Cola’s Shake It Works

In Hong Kong, teenagers are offered a free and branded app for their phones. A television spot ran during the evening. During this time, fans are asked to run the app and shake their phones to win discounts and prizes from partners like McDonald’s.

In the evening, a spot was broadcast on television during which time it was possible to run the application and … begin to shake the smartphone in front of the TV!

Why Coca-Cola’s Shake It Is Incredibly Fun and Irresistible 

The Octalysis element of U npredictability & Curiosity ( Core Drive 7 : What gift will I receive) is what makes this game hard to resist.

Coca-Cola aligns this campaign with its mission. The company succeeds in bringing happiness and optimism to the world, by creating advertisement that allows young people to interact enthusiastically with the brand.

Marketing Gamification Example #5: Magnum Pleasure Hunt

The chocolate company, Magnum has created a very exciting and novel campaign for the launch of its ice cream bar, Magnum Temptation.

Magnum Pleasure Hunt, The Epic Online Experience

With the support of partners like Citrine and YouTube, the brand created a digital online game that is reminiscent of Super Mario. However, the actual playing field is integrated throughout pages of the internet.

The adventure takes place across unique scenarios (e.g. car trip, hang gliding). Users accumulate scores and build their rankings as they collect bon bons. The game is finished as the players return to Magnum’s main site. Their bon bons turn into a Magnum Temptation bar.

Within the Octalysis model, players take O wnership ( Core Drive 4 )  of their bon bons, become immersed in  epic meaning (Core Drive 7: being heroes of their journey), and enjoy the feelings of Empowerment ( Core Drive 3 ) and A ccomplishment (Core Drive 2).

The Social Factor of the Magnum Pleasure Hunt

Awareness of this game was amplified through word of mouth on social media. On one particular day, Magnum Pleasure Hunt reached an impressive pinnacle as the most tweeted URL in the world.

Magnum’s game is doubly clever. It advertises its product and provides a window of exposure to its partner brands, guaranteeing them (partial) advertising.

Marketing Gamification Example #6: SeatPG Connection Game

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6vt1l684Tc&ab_channel=SeatPG

Here is a campaign set in Italy. Seat PG is a telephone directory company and publisher of street maps. They used gamification to promote their newly developed mobile app which can be used to find information such as the best places to eat and job opportunities posted by companies.

The Seat PG Game

The brand developed a treasure hunt set in Italy. Players are grouped into teams of three to five to contend for the prize of 1,000 Euros raffled by the company. Users solve quizzes based on the brand throughout the game.

Each player is initially given a trial to decide whether they are interested in participating and want to keep playing. Their motivation is driven by the Octalysis elements of Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback (Core Drive 3) and Development & Accomplishment (Core Drive 2) as the competition wages on. A visual leaderboard fuels these drives as players receive constant feedback.

Results for the SeatPG Connection Game

Shortly after launch, Seat PG’s site received 15,000 visits. The game itself elicited more than 400 teams, all actively engaged in the brand.

Marketing Gamification Example #7: All eyes on S4

“Pranksvertising” is a promotional method that is growing as a marketing trend for major enterprises. One example is “All Eyes on S4.” As you can see from the video, players are challenged to win a new-generation mobile phone simply by keeping their eyes on it for a certain period. They are challenged to avoid all types of outrageous distractions such as barking dogs, bickering couples, and motorcycles as a crowd gathers around the contestant.

The question that everyone is asking, after a level is passed is: what will happen now?

What Makes All Eyes on S4 So Compelling?

Various cornerstones of Octalysis come into play such as:

• Empowerment and Accomplishment (Core Drive 3: through visual feedback)
• Social Influence & Relatedness ( Core Drive 5 : through the growing audience)
• Unpredictability & Curiosity (Core Drive 7: through the mischief that occurs to distract the players)

Here Samsung tests the will and resilience of the players, challenging them to overcome the “levels” of the game.

Brand Awareness as a result of All Eyes on S4

Samsung created an experience that increases its brand awareness on more than one level. Not only does this involve the contestants themselves, but also the secondary audience of spectators at the scene and online as well.

This is a great example of where gamification is used to create an extremely entertaining and immersive social experience.

Marketing Gamification Example #8: Heineken’s Star Player Game

The brand is an official sponsor of Champions League games. They decided to use gamification to actively engage fans throughout the event to increase awareness of Heineken.

How Heineken’s Star Player Game is Played

During the Champions League, users can download the Heineken app. While watching the game, they are asked predictive questions such as:

• will the penalty be saved?
• will the goal be made by the head?
• will they score within 20 seconds?

Points are awarded for correct answers. During downtime, more points can be earned by answering other types of questions (e.g. trivia).

Heineken’s Innovative Display of Sponsorship

This is a great example where a sponsor can directly engage with fans during a sports game instead of just having their logo showcased on banners within the arena or through television spots.

Marketing Gamification Example #9: Steam Trading Cards

Steam is known as the platform of choice for the distribution of PC software. In January 2012, the number of subscribers surpassed 40 million and continues to grow.

Valve is an entertainment software company that develops video games. They designed a promotion to increase the number of hours spent on Steam and the volume of game sales. The premise of their strategy is based on the concept of collecting,  which is an effective way to drive the enthusiasm of users.

How To Play Steam Trading Cards

It works very simply. People play their favorite software. But they can win cards when playing games that are part of the promotion. This is an example of O wnership & Possession (Core Drive 4)  in the Octalysis framework.

Not all cards are assigned in this way. The player must also exchange cards in their possession with the other users to get the whole series. This adds a strong degree of Social Influence & Relatedness (Core Drive 5).

When a series is completed, the player can win a medal and goods related to the game (avatars, backgrounds, etc.). They may also win discounts on Steam games.

The system is currently restricted to a few Steam Games, but we hope it will be implemented soon into other games, to give better metrics to track the system.

Marketing Gamification Example #10: 4 Foods – Good 4 All

What Is 4 Foods Good 4 All?

4Food is the first fast food chain where you can create and share your sandwich creations. There is no real menu. The customers themselves make the sandwiches as they want. Users are invited to the site to create their combinations and then share them with the community.

On the site, it is possible to express preferences for certain sandwiches. The most popular choices rise to the top of the leaderboard, which is updated in real time. It includes not only the preferences for each meal but also the sales figures as well.

Why 4 Foods Good 4 All Works

4Food therefore presents a unique socially driven methodology to sell its products. Factors within Octalysis help explain the success of this experience. They include:

• CD5: Social Influence & Relatedness
• CD2: Development & Accomplishment
• CD3: Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback

Making it to the top of the leaderboard is quite an accomplishment with votes of confidence from other sandwich lovers. The realization that one has created the best sandwich is something that participants take pride in.

Gamified Marketing Conclusion

The use of gamified techniques is a powerful strategy for companies to support the sale of their products.

The above examples not only illustrate innovative game design but also the results of happily engaged users who, in many cases were thrilled to share their experiences with their friends and family.

Care must be taken in applying gamification to one’s brand. Companies need to be aware that gamification is not a panacea. The experience must be planned carefully. The overall design requires specialized expertise that often relies on models such as Octalysis which can offer a high degree of reliability.

If you have seen other Gamified Marketing examples that got you engaged, please share in the comments below!

(Thanks to Mario Malkav Colombo of  Alittleb. it  for tremendously helping me on this post)

other Posts

Gamification Analysis of Snapchat: How Camera and Storytelling Captured Attention

Engaging Website Design Series (Part 2 of 3)

Learn how to use Gamification to make a positive impact on your work and life

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• The 10 best productivity apps that use Gamification
• The 10 best educational apps that use Gamification for adults
• The 10 best social products that use Gamification to literally save the world

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Written by Yaprak Eken

14 August 2023

The Ultimate Guide to Gamification in Marketing

Whether it’s the thrill of conquering a virtual realm or the satisfaction of unlocking new levels, the allure of games is universal and timeless.

This intrinsic love for games has birthed an ingenious digital marketing strategy — a secret weapon for increasing brand awareness and customer engagement.

Key Takeaways Gamification is more than a trend; it’s a transformative approach that taps into the core of human psychology, offering personalised rewards and customised experiences. From boosting user engagement and brand awareness to collecting data in a non-intrusive manner and increasing conversion rates, the incorporation of game elements into your marketing efforts can lead to impressive results.

Imagine infusing the excitement of a game into your marketing efforts, where every interaction becomes an engaging challenge and each purchase transforms into a rewarding achievement!

This article will explore the benefits of gamification in marketing, explain how to implement gamification in marketing, and will discuss different gamification marketing examples with step-by-step scenarios.

Ready, set, go!

What is Gamification in Marketing?

Utilising game design elements and mechanics, gamification in marketing effectively captivates and propels individuals towards specific actions by leveraging incentives like rewards, badges, points, and leaderboards. This prevalent marketing approach seamlessly embeds game dynamics into diverse arenas like websites, apps, and social media platforms.

Unlock triumph with gamification marketing, your exclusive key to success! Download eCommerce Gamification Marketing Guide now to master its strategic application.

6 Benefits of Gamification in Marketing

Let us delve into the captivating realm of gamification, exploring its multifaceted benefits that extend beyond mere entertainment. Prepare to unlock the next level of customer engagement and brand loyalty through the strategic fusion of playfulness and marketing prowess.

1. Increases User Engagement

Engaging today’s tech-savvy and easily-distracted consumers is a perpetual challenge. Marketing gamification provides a unique solution by turning routine interactions into enjoyable experiences.

By integrating game elements such as challenges, rewards, and leaderboards, brands can captivate their audience’s attention and keep them actively participating. This heightened engagement translates into extended interaction periods with your brand, leading to deeper connections and enhanced recall.

2. Builds Brand Awareness

In a cluttered digital environment, breaking through the noise and making your brand memorable is crucial. Incorporation gamification in marketing allows you to create interactive experiences that stick in the minds of consumers.

Through memorable games and challenges, your brand’s identity becomes intertwined with positive emotions and enjoyable moments. As players share their experiences with friends and family, your brand’s reach expands, leading to increased brand awareness. 

3. Zero-Party  Data Collection in a Non-Intrusive Way

While data is probably one of the most valuable assets for a business, concerns over data privacy have prompted a shift towards more transparent and consensual data collection methods.

From Apple’s App Tracking Transparency updates to the introduction of GA4 and cookieless tracking by Google, brands have been  taking more responsibility in data privacy and transparency.

Implementing gamification in marketing offers an unobtrusive way to gather valuable insights through zero-party data collection. Players willingly provide information as they engage with games, surveys, or interactive quizzes. This approach fosters trust and allows brands to personalise marketing efforts effectively, all while respecting user preferences and privacy.

4. Increases Conversion Rate

Converting leads into paying customers is the ultimate goal of any marketing campaign and gamification has shown to be a potent conversion booster.

By integrating compelling game mechanics into your sales funnel, you guide users seamlessly through the buyer’s journey. As players engage with your “games”, they become more emotionally invested, making them more likely to complete a desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting a demo.

5. Makes Promotions More Interesting

Traditional promotional methods can often feel repetitive and uninspiring. Implementing gamification in marketing, on the other hand, injects an element of excitement into promotions by adding an element of surprise and challenge.

Whether it’s a Spin the Wheel game, a digital scavenger hunt, or a trivia contest related to your products or services, gamified promotions capture attention and encourage participation, leading to a more engaging and enjoyable promotional experience.

6. Educates Customers About Your Products and Services

Complex products or services can be challenging to explain effectively. Implementing gamification in your marketing presents a creative solution by transforming the learning process into an engaging adventure.

Interactive simulations, quizzes, and tutorials presented as games make it easier for customers to grasp complex concepts. This not only increases their understanding but also leaves a lasting impression, making them more likely to remember and consider your offerings even if they don’t convert right away.

How to Implement Gamification in Marketing

Gamification has emerged as a powerful strategy in marketing, offering a unique approach to customer interaction that can drive brand loyalty, increase conversions, and create memorable experiences.

Pay extra attention to these steps while implementing gamification in your marketing strategy to ensure the best results:

• Determine your goals: Before diving into gamification, clearly outline your marketing objectives. Are you looking to boost customer engagement, increase brand awareness, drive sales, or build your email list ? Defining your goals will help you tailor your gamification efforts to align with your overall business strategy.
• Understand your audience: Effective gamification relies on a deep understanding of your target audience. What are their preferences, behaviours, and motivations? Gather insights through tools like MicroAnalytics to identify the elements of gamification that will resonate most with your audience.
• Choose game mechanics: Consider elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, challenges, virtual rewards, and progress tracking. The mechanics you choose should align with your objectives and appeal to your audience’s interests.
• Integrate gamification into your existing marketing channels: Gamification shouldn’t exist in isolation—it should seamlessly integrate into your existing marketing channels . Whether it’s your website, social media platforms, mobile app, or email campaigns, ensure that the gamified elements enhance the overall user experience and support your brand messaging.
• Set clear rules and progression paths: Clearly communicate the rules, objectives, and progression paths to participants. Provide them with a sense of purpose and direction as they navigate through the gamified elements. Transparency fosters trust and ensures a fair playing field.
• Design for UX: Ensure that the gamified interface is intuitive, visually appealing, and easy to navigate. A seamless and enjoyable UX will encourage participants to stay engaged and continue interacting with your brand.
• Monitor and analyse performance: Implementing gamification is not a one-time thing. Continuously monitor the performance of your gamified campaigns. Collect data on user interactions, engagement levels, conversion rates, and other relevant metrics. Analyse this data to identify areas of improvement and refine your gamification strategy over time.

Gamification Marketing Examples

Whether you’re looking to capture the interest of first-time visitors or re-engage abandoning users through exit intent strategies, gamification can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.

Let’s go over different gamification marketing scenarios and see how gamification marketing works in action:

Reduce Exit Rate with Gamification

• Identify key exit points: Before you can implement exit intent gamification, identify the key exit points on your website, landing page, or app. These are moments when visitors are about to leave without taking the desired action, such as making a purchase or subscribing to a newsletter.
• Create an engaging game overlay: Develop a captivating game overlay that appears when users attempt to exit the page. This overlay could feature a simple yet addictive game that ties into your brand or product. An eCommerce site could use a Spin the Wheel pop-up offering discounts or free shipping codes.
• Reward engagement: If you’re trying to reduce exit rates , rewards should incentivise users to stay longer on site. Continuing with the eCommerce example, the rewards should have time limits to encourage the users to continue with product exploration and make a purchase.
• Direct the users to take action: Integrate a call-to-action (CTA) within the game overlay to direct users toward the desired conversion. If you want the user to use the discount they’ve just won, use an “Add to cart” button so that the product they were just looking at that triggered the exit intent pop-up because they were about to leave the page is added to their cart right away. In other words, match the end action to your goal in the beginning.

Abandoned Cart Recovery with Gamification

• Identify cart abandonment segments: Not every abandoned cart is the same. Using platforms like Segmentify, identify different sets of Dynamic Segments for different cart abandonment scenarios. Do you want to target high-value carts, carts with cross-selling potentials, or abandoned carts containing specific products?
• Use personalised emails: Set up personalised email marketing campaign flows for different cart abandonment segments that not only reminds them of the items left behind but also introduces a gamified element to get them back to the website or app.
• Unlocking the rewards: Encourage users to complete their purchase by offering them discounts or exclusive offers upon successful completion of the game. Make sure the rewards are enticing enough to motivate that specific segment to return and finalise their transaction.
• Reinforce urgency: Highlight the limited-time nature of the unlocked reward, emphasising that it’s valid only for a certain period. This sense of urgency encourages swift action, pushing the user to finalise their purchase sooner rather than later.

Loyalty Program Enhancement with Gamification

• Assess current loyalty program: Evaluate your existing loyalty program and identify areas where gamification elements can be seamlessly integrated. This could include point-based systems, tiers, or rewards for specific actions like referrals, social sharing, and repeat purchases. If you don’t have a customer loyalty program at the moment, work on its design with gamification in mind.
• Encourage regular use: Create interactive challenges or missions that members can complete to earn extra rewards or move up to higher tiers. These challenges could involve tasks like logging onto their account everyday for a predetermined period, completing a certain number of transactions, engaging with your brand on multiple platforms, leaving reviews, or participating in user-generated content campaigns.
• Showcase progress: Allow members to track their progress and see how close they are to unlocking the next reward or tier. This visual representation of progress can motivate them to remain engaged and continue participating in your loyalty program.

First-Time Visitor Engagement with Gamification

• Collect email addresses: Use straightforward gamification designs like Spin the Wheel or Scratch-off to encourage the first-time visitors to join your email list.
• Send welcome emails: Send warm welcome emails to newcomers. Design the email to include interactive elements such as surveys, quizzes, or preference-based challenges. Encourage visitors to participate by providing valuable insights about their preferences, interests, and needs.
• Progressive data collection: Utilise progressive customer profiling techniques to collect additional data with each interaction. As visitors engage with subsequent emails or landing pages, gradually build a more comprehensive profile that informs your personalization efforts.
• Personalise incentives: Based on the data collected, personalise the incentives you offer in follow-up emails. Tailor content recommendations , discounts, or exclusive offers to align with each visitor’s expressed preferences, increasing the likelihood of engagement.
• Segment content delivery: Segment your email list based on the data gathered, creating targeted content streams that resonate with specific user interests. Deliver content, promotions, and product recommendations that genuinely appeal to each segment.
• Conversion-oriented follow-up: Craft follow-up emails that strategically guide visitors toward conversion actions. Whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a trial, or exploring a specific product category, customise the messaging to align with their journey.

Zero-Party Data Collection with Gamification

Rather than just collecting email addresses, you can use gamification to collect other kinds of zero-party data without bothering and pestering your users.

See for yourself 👇

• Ask the users to swipe right: The most straightforward way to find out what your customers like is to just ask them. We’ve decided to spice things up with a Tinder-inspired game, in our example.
• Create personalised collections: Create a collection with the items the user swiped right. But here’s where things get interesting; include personalised recommendations in the collection based on what the customer told you during the little Tinder-inspired game.
• Craft another game: Now that you know what they’re interested in, hit ‘em with another game—spin the wheel. They’re already interested in a bunch of products because they have seen them, either because they specifically selected them or the algorithm made personalised selections based on what they chose in the first step.
• Encourage further engagement: Create a good old fashion Spin the Wheel game using these products. Since they’re already interested in them, they will be more likely to use their discount codes! However, don’t trigger this second gamification campaign right after the other. Give 2-3 days before this second game is triggered.

Wrapping Up

Integrating gamification in marketing has transcended being a mere trend to become a transformative strategy rooted in human psychology. Gamification not only offers an engaging way to interact with customers but also serves as a powerful tool for achieving various marketing objectives.

To implement gamification successfully, you need a strategic approach involving clear goals, audience insights, thoughtful mechanics, seamless integration, and user-centric design. By continuously monitoring and adapting, businesses can tap into gamification’s potential to captivate, convert, and foster customer loyalty—a bridge between playfulness and strategic marketing prowess.

Ready to harness gamification’s power? Contact Segmentify now for expert guidance, turning every customer interaction into an enthralling journey that enhances brand loyalty and drives conversion rates.

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Brand Storytelling, Gamification and Social Media Marketing in the “Metaverse”: A Case Study of The Ralph Lauren Winter Escape

• First Online: 01 January 2023

Cite this chapter

• Vanissa Wanick 5 &
• James Stallwood 5  

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Practice: Global Fashion Brand Management ((PSP:GFBM))

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10 Citations

Since Facebook’s rebrand to “Meta” in 2021, and the rise on collaborations between brands and consumers via User-Generated Content (UGC) platforms, brands are willing to win their own space in the “metaverse”. This brings new challenges for fashion brands as social media marketers need to up their game and learn new skills such as world-building, collaboration and how to design playful experiences. This chapter provides an overview of the current debates about challenges in social media marketing in different UGC and social media platforms, through the lens of brand storytelling and media convergence. We start this chapter by reviewing the literature about brand storytelling and online communities, in order to identify storytelling elements that can be used by fashion brands across different types of social media. As a result, we have developed a conceptual framework to understand how fashion brands can sustain a coherent story across different channels (including the metaverse). We have utilised this framework to undertake an analysis of The Ralph Lauren Winter Escape , which was hosted in the UGC platform Roblox , from 8th December 2021 to 3rd January 2022. Our findings show that the overarching story is sustained by the festive thematic and it is brand-centred; however, there was little connection with other social media platforms. Other insights show that rewarding mechanisms (e.g., gamification) and avatar customisation were used frequently to keep consumers engaged in the experience. Implications for both practice and theory are discussed, including the need for a more effective alignment of gamification strategies with emergent consumer narratives and the rules of the online community.

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Wanick, V., Stallwood, J. (2023). Brand Storytelling, Gamification and Social Media Marketing in the “Metaverse”: A Case Study of The Ralph Lauren Winter Escape . In: Bazaki, E., Wanick, V. (eds) Reinventing Fashion Retailing. Palgrave Studies in Practice: Global Fashion Brand Management . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11185-3_3

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Duolingo PLG Strategy: The Growth Flywheel of Learning a New Language 

• Growth Marketing

Duolingo is one of the most popular and widely used language-learning platforms, with over 500 million total users worldwide, offering language courses ranging from French to Catalan. 

What you may not know is that while many companies grow through paid marketing, Duolingo actually acquired ~80% of their users organically. More specifically, Duolingo did this by leveraging Product-led Growth as a lever to expand its consumer base — providing an interactive and gamified approach to language learning, making it accessible to a broad range of users, from beginners to more advanced learners.

Product-led growth is a go-to-market strategy that relies on the company to create and iterate on a product that turns customers into loyal fans who will then introduce the product to their friends, creating a viral growth loop. This approach prioritizes creating a great product that solves a real need for customers; relying on the product to drive word-of-mouth referrals and organic growth. It is an incredibly powerful strategy as current advocates for the product help generate a growth loop of new users that distinctly reduces customer acquisition costs, especially for startups.

Duolingo’s product-led growth was based on 3 main tenets:

Gamification

• Community-based learning

A learning-driven team obsessed with A/B testing

One of the biggest and most important PLG levers for Duolingo is gamification. With learning anything, the teacher-student bond and internal motivation to reach a better understanding of the subject are key factors in a student’s learning journey. In order to replicate this, Duolingo heavily depends on gamification to not only make the language-learning experience enjoyable for users but also create a sense of achievement and motivation that keeps users coming back regularly, in turn increasing user engagement and retention.

As part of their growth, the team at Duolingo very quickly and smartly saw parallels between the entertainment that gaming apps provided and the consistent learning required for languages. Top digital games, in general, had much higher retention rates across industries. Seeking early inspiration from games like Angry Birds and Clash Royale, Duolingo incorporated key gamification elements, such as points, streaks, and rewards, to make the learning process fun and addictive. 

To start off, Duolingo rewards users with XP (Experience Points) and gems, the game’s in-app currency for completing lessons, exercises, and daily challenges. Earning experience points is a physical representation of a user’s progress, giving learners a more concrete sense of accomplishment which in turn motivates them to continue learning to increase their scores. Gems, on the other hand, gamify the learning experience even further since it acts as a virtual currency used to repair lost streaks, refill hearts, and unlock bonus lessons or content. 

An important piece of PLG that Duolingo tapped into within their product was the idea of instant gratification. Duolingo learners can correct courses in real time, building a robust foundation for their language skills. Not only is a user’s learning instantaneously reinforced through immediate feedback on exercises, which is a proven tactic in habit formation and learning; but their commitment to learning immediately sees reward via these points and gems. Layering this on with additional product features such as levels, progress bars, and leagues, these features provided learners with visual feedback and a visceral representation of their learning journey as they completed lessons and exercises.

Additionally, Duolingo offers a variety of mini-challenges and badges for completing specific tasks or milestones, such as mastering a skill or reaching a certain level. These virtual rewards transformed mastering a language from a daunting task with benefits that can only be reaped long term into a simple, fun rewarding game that provided users with an immediate boost of serotonin as they feel a sense of accomplishment. Seeking inspiration from how gamification was able to boost their engagement and retention rates beyond what they had imagined, the Duolingo team was now inspired to build a growth engine with gamification at its core. 

While Duolingo had its “leveling up” model figured out, it now had to integrate gamification into every nook and cranny of its app. Enter Streaks. As part of the company’s growth, retention was a key metric that Duolingo was hyperfocused on. It was crucial for Duolingo’s business model, since it was based on ads and subscriptions, that users keep coming back to their application and use it as much as possible. Duolingo encouraged daily practice by implementing streaks. Users are rewarded for consecutive days of learning, and breaking a streak can serve as a disincentive for missing a day.

This keeps learners engaged and committed to regular practice. As part of the gamification of streaks, Duolingo used lifecycle marketing to implement a key growth tool in the form of streak-saver notification— a notification at the end of every day that alerted users if they were about to lose their streak. This late-night notification proved to have considerable upside. Students who were having trouble committing a language to practice in their everyday lives saw their commitment to learning reignited with this simple feature alone. With this, Duolingo shortly doubled down on several improvements around streaks, including calendar views of the number of days in a streak achieved, animations, streak freezes, and rewards. Each generated substantial improvements in user engagement and retention. 

Community-Driven Learning 

Duolingo may offer courses in over 40 languages, but the app itself has to speak in a universal tongue with an experience that transcends any cultural or linguistic barriers. One of the first challenges of PLG that Duolingo faced was rebuilding the crucial classroom-teacher-student rigor and community that helps students stay motivated to learn, as it would have a direct impact on retention within the app. While most language courses are top-down curriculums, Duolingo had to completely rethink language learning from the bottom up, with PLG at the core of the curriculum product features that they rolled out. 

The first thing that Duolingo did was to focus their users on bite-sized mastery. Duolingo ingeniously distills language learning into digestible chunks, eliminating the intimidation often associated with mastering a new language. Instead of being just another dry task that a user had to cross off their checklist each day, each lesson is a mini-adventure, a game of linguistic discovery that keeps users engrossed. Beyond leveling up and competing against themselves, Duolingo, more importantly, realized the effect of community and how current advocates of the app could influence and encourage new users to continue learning on the app.

Duolingo started to opt users into leagues where users were able to compete with other learners. Users could progress to the top of the first league by merely engaging consistently in their regular language study. They also had the opportunity to move through a series of league levels (Bronze, Silver, and Gold league) that let them compete against varying segments of engaged users, which granted them a greater sense of progress and reward – another integral element that the Duolingo team borrowed from game design.

By employing leaderboards, Duolingo not only fostered a greater sense of a learning community but also fueled a friendly rivalry among learners. The sense of community within the app served the function of recreating the classroom-teacher-student emotional bond, but the competitive edge added another layer of engagement to the user experience. 

To take community engagement further, Duolingo continued fostering a sense of community among users through discussion forums and language clubs, allowing learners to connect with others who share their language-learning goals. Throughout the app, Duolingo also makes sure to embed push notifications and prompts encouraging users to share their language-learning achievements and progress on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. This word-of-mouth marketing through social sharing helps attract new users and promotes the platform’s positive reputation.

Duolingo created a machine that fed learners with serotonin and reinforced the positive impact of users continuously coming back to the app as engaged users moved up to more competitive leagues week after week. The realization that Duolingo could borrow from gaming instead of simply benchmarking itself against other edtech companies enabled the team to experiment with new approaches to learning.

The ideal PLG loop is led by product, powered by data, and assisted by channels. From the get-go, the Duolingo team knew that users do not know what they want — rather, well-thought-out hypotheses backed by data were the key foundations in order to achieve the growth they needed. Testing is a game of instinct, and the Duolingo team knew that they had to constantly iterate and use quick AB testing to drive growth.

One of the first things that Duolingo AB tested was its soft-walled signup page. Duolingo realized that while it could acquire users, it experienced a major leak at the very onset — the sign-up page. However, it was easy to retain users once they got into the learning experience. Instead, they experimented with the concept of soft-walled signup pages where users could begin learning instantly but encountered soft walls in the form of optional signup screens that could be skipped to continue learning.

With this experiment alone, the Duolingo team managed to increase DAUs by 20%. In addition, their freemium model, where users do not incur any upfront cost, enables users to access a significant portion of the platform’s features and content right away for free, which further encourages user acquisition and engagement. Product usage then becomes the primary lever for product education and user nurturing which is much more powerful and direct. This anchors the Duolingo team on pushing for quick activation and meaningful product usage, which are the key success factors for generating PQLs.

Another key area that Duolingo experimented heavily in was Push Notifications. Well known for its official mascot, an evergreen-colored owl Duo, Duolingo had the perfect excuse in the form of their mascot, which they positioned as their learner’s #1 fan and biggest cheerleader who isn’t shy about checking in or laying on a guilt trip. Openly addressed by Duolingo in their tone and voice documentation of Duo, Duo is a very persistent mascot whose “only thing he loves more than Duolingo is seeing our learners succeed.”

With that, Duolingo created the perfect facade to call users back. But its real power move was in its intentional goal setting at the heart of streaks, where learners were able to select their goal of how committed they were to learning each day. With learners giving Duolingo a reason to call them back, Duo was now able to double down on its notifications.

Duolingo didn’t just send notifications — they conducted a simple A/B test of adding a tiny red dot to the app icon when folks had been notified to practice, which went on to demonstrate a 1.5% increase in DAU.

Duolingo’s product-led growth strategy, which emphasizes gamification, community-based learning, and data-driven A/B testing, has been instrumental in helping the company acquire millions of users who are not only engaged but are firm advocates of the platform. By implementing Product Led Growth tactics that tapped directly into common human motivators of competitiveness and progression, Duolingo has not only made the language-learning experience enjoyable but also created a sense of achievement, competition, and motivation that keeps users engaged and returning to the platform regularly — truly creating the world’s best free,  fun, and effective way to learn a language! 

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Gamification in Marketing: A Case Study From a Customer Value Perspective

Introduction.

Technology and globalization emerge as the most effective factors in the transformation of the marketplaces where businesses operate. Changes in communication technologies allow societies to become global. The fact that digital technologies have become an important part of consumers’ lives causes the demand for these technologies and technology-based services to increase rapidly. Therefore, businesses are beginning to benefit intensely from digital and interactive marketing techniques within the framework of developments in technology and changes in consumer demands. Gamification applications included in these techniques constitute one of the most up-to-date marketing activities. Gamification technique is carried out by using video game elements such as game mechanics and dynamics in non-game environments to improve user experience and interaction (Deterding et al., 2011c, p. 2425; Simoes et al., 2013, p. 346). This technique is used by businesses to integrate game technology and game design methods into web pages, services, consumer communities, created contents and marketing campaigns to attract users and increase their participation (Deterding et al., 2011a, p. 10).

Gamification in marketing brings benefits such as increasing the number of visits to the website, improving the effectiveness of ads, increasing sales, providing feedback from customers, and collecting primary data (Noorbehbahani et al., 2019, p. 393). The main purpose of using gamification in marketing can be summarized as increasing the value created for the customer (Huotari and Hamari, 2012, p. 19). In this way, customer participation and loyalty are increased by establishing a connection between the brand and the consumer (Hamari et al., 2014, p. 3025). In customer-oriented gamification applications, marketers increase customer efficiency and experience, reveal repurchasing intention, educate customers about the usage of the product or service, or create new products and services with customers (Burke, 2014, p. 63; Helmefalk and Marcusson, 2019, p. 128).

Marketers use gamification as gamified marketing practices in mobile applications and websites. In these gamification activities, it is seen that different game mechanics such as collecting points, leveling, earning badges, gaining virtual products or gifts, and different game dynamics such as gaining rewards, achieving status, achievement, competing, self-expression are used (Blohm & Leimeister, 2013, p. 276; Simoes et al., 2013, p. 348). In addition, the motivation factors underlying consumers’ use of gamification vary as intellectual curiosity, social reputation, achievement, cognitive stimulation, and self-determination (Blohm & Leimeister, 2013, p. 276; Hamid & Kuppusamy, 2017, p. 40).

Based on this information, it seems important to examine how businesses can design effective gamification applications that will enable them to create added value for their customers and increase their income. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is threefold: a) to present a conceptual framework for the use of gamification technique in marketing from the customer value point of view, b) to review the literature to determine the effects of the use of gamification technique in marketing on creating customer value and its consequences in terms of consumer behavior, c) to explain the issues covered in the chapter through a case study within the scope of the practice of an business using the gamification technique. Accordingly, in this chapter, a literature-based conceptual study and a case study are carried out with an exploratory research approach.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Gamification : The usage of game design elements and mechanics in non-game environments to motivate users to perform a task or act in a certain way.

Customer Value : An assessment that the customer derives from their judgment between what is expected and what is received regarding the outputs, benefits or utility of a product or service.

Customer Engagement : A state of being involved in product, service or brand derived from interactive customer experience.

Gamified Apps : Mobile applications containing game design elements and mechanics to engage and retain customers.

Gamified Websites : Web pages containing game-like features, mechanics, and user interface elements that try to increase the interaction between marketing programs and customers by activating users’ motivations.

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Home » Blog » A1 Slovenija Scoring Big With Engaging Moj A1 App Users

A1 Slovenija Scoring Big With Engaging Moj A1 App Users

In a world where innovation and engagement reign supreme, A1 Slovenija, a prominent telecommunications company in Slovenia, decided to embark on an exciting marketing journey during the FIBA World Cup 2023. Recognizing the unwavering love for basketball, especially in Slovenia, the home of global sensation Luka Dončić, A1 Slovenija saw an opportunity to connect with their Moj A1 app users in a unique and engaging way , much like the renowned Duolingo gamification case study.

It is one thing to come up with a great idea , the other is to actually do it. Now that you know their concept, here’s how they created the campaign.

Where Did They Come Up with the Idea for This Campaign?

A1 Slovenija’s quest to create a memorable campaign for the FIBA World Cup 2023 was a seamless journey. With a basketball-themed game that perfectly resonated with Slovenian enthusiasts, the decision was a slam dunk. The initiative drew inspiration from various gamification case studies, aiming to replicate the success seen in other types of gamification marketing.

Their goal, influenced by several gamification case studies, was to engage the users of their Moj A1 app and make this iconic basketball event accessible to all, even those outside premium subscription plans. To bring this vision to life, they decided to create their own “Basketball World Cup” using Adact’s Hoop game, akin to strategies seen in gamification marketing case studies.

Hoops Campaign Description:

A1 Slovenija’s gamification strategy was not just about showcasing basketball; it was about creating an engaging competition . Through the integration of score tracking, hoops game mechanics, and a public leaderboard , the game became an irresistible magnet for users . It was more than just promoting the FIBA World Cup. It was about forging a deeper connection with Moj A1 app users and motivating them to use the app even more.

Public Feedback:

This campaign did not merely meet expectations; it exceeded them, similar to outcomes observed in gamification marketing case studies. Positive feedback poured in from both customers and A1 Slovenija’s own employees. The enthusiasm wasn’t limited to their team marketing team alone – even Šport TV, the sports channel partner, expressed their satisfaction with the campaign’s performance. The success of this gamification marketing initiative not only provided immediate benefits but also laid a solid foundation for future endeavours .

Campaign Results:

The campaign achieved two significant objectives. It significantly increased the monthly active users (MAU) of the Moj A1 app, ensuring that customers spent more time exploring its features, even when their immediate needs didn’t require it. This deeper engagement had a dual benefit: it improved customer familiarity with the app’s functionalities and increased the likelihood that users would discover hidden features they were yet to explore.

The campaign’s data showed impressive results, with an average of 15 gameplays per customer and over 24,000 overall gameplays , underscoring the campaign’s success. Although the number of unique players was slightly lower compared to more traditional games, this data unveiled a fascinating insight – competitive games seemed to resonate more with the younger app users , a crucial revelation that will shape the future of their marketing campaigns. Adact’s platform played a pivotal role in collecting this valuable customer information, which will be instrumental in shaping future campaigns to better target A1 Slovenija’s desired audience.

Conclusion:

The partnership between A1 Slovenija and Adact serves as a shining example of how innovation and gamification can elevate customer engagement and redefine marketing. By strategically harnessing their customers’ passion for basketball, A1 Slovenija showcased a deep understanding of their audience’s interests. The campaign’s seamless execution and resounding success stand as a testament to the power of creative engagement.

The impact of this initiative extended beyond immediate user satisfaction and stakeholder contentment, providing invaluable insights into user behaviour and preferences that will guide future campaigns. This gamification alchemy not only celebrated the FIBA World Cup but also celebrated the partnership of A1 Slovenija and Adact as a beacon of marketing excellence in the ever-evolving telecommunications landscape.

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