90 GAMIFICATION

90.1 Overview Gamification is the application of gaming features in real-world contexts. Marketers are using the technique to engage audiences. Some analysts see recent developments in gamification as revolutionary. Others view gamification as simply a buzzword and argue that the concept is not novel. Gamification applications are anticipated in business, education, employee training, financial services, marketing, online services, and more. _________________________________________________________________

Corporations, small and large, have begun adopting game principles to do business. The theory: using fun game-like features ... can produce more satisfied customers.
USA Today, 8/3/12 _________________________________________________________________

Gartner (www.gartner.com) forecasts that 50% of corporate innovation will be gamified by 2015. Gartner further predicts that by 2015, more than 70% of Global 2000 organizations will have at least one gamified application. Deloitte (www.deloitte.com) called gamification one of the top 10 technology trends in 2012.

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Serious gaming simulations and game mechanics such as leaderboards, achievements, and skillbased learning are becoming embedded in day-today business processes, driving adoption, performance, and engagement. Elements of game mechanics are being employed nowadays in training, marketing, education, and wellness initiatives.
Top 10 Technology Trends for 2012 Deloitte, 1/12 _________________________________________________________________

eMarketer (www.emarketer.com) forecasts that spending for gamification applications will grow from $100 million in 2012 to $1.6 billion by 2015. M2 Research (www.m2research.com) estimates spending even higher, at $242 million in 2012 and increasing to $2.8 billion in 2016.

90.2 Marketing Applications In marketing, gamification is being used to provide incentives that will enhance loyalty programs, attract customers to purchase specific products, or engage in targeted online activities. Incentives include badges (a virtual representation of having accomplished an activity), discounts, rewards systems, and virtual currency. According to a March 2012 report from Loyalty 360 - The Loyalty Marketers Association (www.loyalty360.org), 14% of business-to-consumer (B-to-C) companies with loyalty programs already use gamification in their customer retention efforts; 29% have plns to do so. Gartner foresees that by 2015, a gamified programs for marketing consumer goods and customer retention will become as important to companies marketing engagement efforts as their presence on Facebook and Twitter.

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Marketers are turning to gamification techniques to drive user behavior across their brands websites and mobile applications. These techniques tie behavior analytics with programs that highlight user status and achievements within a customer experience. Gamification is applicable for every customer experience.
Kris Duggan, CEO Badgeville Emarketing and Commerce, 5/9/12 _________________________________________________________________

90.3 Case Studies The following are examples of gamification applications in marketing: Foursquare Foursquare rewards users with badges for activities such as checking in at stores, destinations, and restaurants. Badges such as Gym Rat (for attending a gym multiple times in a week) and NASA Explorer (for visiting the International Space Station) are awarded for specific activities. National Football League NFL Fan Rewards program lets players earn coins to spend on anything from a t-shirt to 15% off coupons or even a chance to win a trip to the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Coins are given to visitors to nfl.com for watching videos, commenting on stories, and sharing with friends. _________________________________________________________________

The NFLs site-wide implementation must be one of the biggest gamification implementations on the Web today.
MyGamification.com, 9/13/12 _________________________________________________________________

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MSN MSN integrated gamification throughout their coverage of the London 2012 Olympics by letting users compete against friends and other fans for their Social Games promotion. To move up the Social Games leaderboard, users could watch videos, share links, comment on stories, play trivia, and rate photos. During the eight weeks of Olympics programming, MSNs Social Games awarded $1000 each to weekly winners and $10,000 to a grand prize winner. Pepsi Pepsis Sound Off is a website where fans of Pepsi-sponsored TV events such as the Grammys and X Factor can voice opinions and connect with fellow fans. Sound Off incorporates game mechanics into the site experience, giving viewers the ability to earn rewards for contributing to the site community. Fans can earn rewards by posting comments, sharing to social networks, and fanning comments left by others. Pepsi rewards the top four users with the most fans by featuring their comment and profile in a Pepsi advertisement during the broadcast of a sponsored event. Popchips Popchips, maker of snack foods, teamed up with smartphone app company Kiip to insert virtual coupons redeemable for free bags of Popchips into hundreds of mobile games. Players are rewarded when a high score is set or a level is beaten. White Castle At White Castles CraverNation website, Cravers upload photos and participate in challenges to work their way to the top of the leaderboard. In addition to virtual rewards such as earning community status as a Lunchtime Legend, White Castle gives away weekly prizes like tablets, lifetime sliders, and bags of swag.

90.4 Market Resources Gamified Enterprise (www.gamifiedenterprise.com): A blog hosting news and commentary about gamification for Fortune 1000 companies. MyGamification (www.mygamification.com): A blog discussing gamification applications. The Future Of The Internet: Gamification, Pew Research Center, May 2012. (www.pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2012/PIP_Future_of_Internet_2012_Gamification.pdf)

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