Why do Businesses Need to use Gamification in Marketing?

Do you remember the feeling you get when one of the teachers announces a Kahoot game on the lecture? You are most likely thrilled and expecting to have some fun. The same practice applies to gamified marketing. Gamification is the application of the game elements in non-gaming activities, it is usually used to motivate and influence people’s behaviour (Educause 2011).

Example of a gamification tool in marketing

Viktoriia Shustova has created a gamification tool for a dark tourism museum during her thesis process (Shustova 2021). The basic description of the tool is an educational virtual tour with the integration of game elements. Game elements include mini-games and trivia quizzes that can be accessed by interacting with the museum’s virtual environment. By successfully completing all the tasks in the game, customers could get benefits from the next museum visit, for example, a discount on the museum’s services.

Customer engagement

Gamification-based marketing techniques grab interest and draw people in with their individuality. Gamified marketing offers customers the sense of being in control, therefore they can engage with a company’s content in multiple ways. Customers are more likely to remain faithful to a company if they have a new level of excitement and passion. (Furdu, Tomozei & Köse 2017.)

Word-of-mouth

When customers discover something interesting and special, it is natural for them to tell their friends about it and recommend that they try it as well.

Therefore, if a business has a gamified marketing tool, it is vital to promote it heavily on social media and through email marketing. This way it is easier for consumers to share content with their close ones. (Gillett, 2020.)

The more people get involved in a platform, app, or brand, the more they engage with it. That is a winning formula with high conversion rates.

Depending on how it is arranged, games used for marketing purposes can be very effective at enticing consumers to engage with a business’s brand or app. Customers are not only introduced to functionality they may not be aware of, but they are also encouraged to invest more time in the software. This reinforces the brand-consumer relationship, which also leads to increased sales.

Gamification has many potential advantages, but managers should recognize that gamification must complement the market culture and that individual approaches must be developed to foster a vibrant and motivating atmosphere. The intrinsic and extrinsic incentives also affect the success of gamification. (Weber 2014.)

References

Educause, 2011. 7 things you should know about gamification. [Cited on 7^th  May 2021.] Available at: https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2011/8/eli7075-pdf.pdf

Furdu, I., Tomozei, C., Köse, U. 2017. Pros and Cons Gamification and Gaming in Classrooms. [Cited on 8^th May 2021.] Available at: https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1708/1708.09337.pdf

Gillett, K. 2020. What You Can Learn from Research About Gamification. LinkedIn. [Cited on 8^th May 2021.] Available at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-you-can-learn-from-research-gamification-kathryn-gillett/

Shustova, Viktoriia. 2021. Gamifying dark tourism: a study on how gamification could be used as a marketing tool in dark tourism museums: case National museum “Chornobyl”. Thesis. LAB University of Applied Sciences. [Cited on 18^th May 2021.] Available at: http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202105189111 

Weber, J. 2014. Gaming and Gamification in Tourism. Best Practice Report. [Cited on 8^th

May 2021. ] Available at: https://thinkdigital.travel/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Gamification-in-Tourism-Best-Practice.pdf

Images

Image 1. Palka, K. 2019. How to Use Gamification in Your Marketing Strategy. Easypromos blog. [Cited on 8^th  May 2021.] Available at: https://www.easypromosapp.com/blog/en/2019/10/gamification-in-marketing-strategy/