Gamification in Marketing: Use Cases

86% of internet users suffer from banner blindness. This is a “disease” in which the client does not notice advertising. A person simply scrolls through all the advertisements, as if not seeing them. His gaze does not cling to banners on websites, and CTA does not motivate for a targeted action.

To capture the attention of customers, marketers are forced to look for fresh ways to influence. One of these methods is gamification. Marketing campaigns with elements of games are several times more effective than usual ones. In the form of a game, customers are more likely to be involved in the content.

In this article, I will give examples of gamification from well-known companies and tell you what benefits both brands and customers receive.

What you need to know about gamification

In marketing, gamification (gamification) is the promotion of company services and products with the help of marketing campaigns with the involvement of elements of the game (quizzes, quests, drawings and competitions).

An example of a bonus loyalty program with a game element: the client is transferred to an environment where each player has an individual rating. For certain actions, he receives points, which are then transformed into a real discount.

Elements of the game are relevant everywhere: gamification is used in trade, education, banking, tourism and medicine. The most complex topics, such as investing, become more accessible to a wide range of people thanks to the game approach. Elements of gamification can be found even in the B2B sphere.

The gamification method is suitable for attracting new users: when a business seeks to stand out in the general flow of advertising, and its main goal is lead generation.

In addition, the method is also good for keeping existing customers engaged so that they stay with the brand for as long as possible. The gamification method has proved to be especially effective in the field of teaching foreign languages: the game form, in which the student moves from level to level, maintains his interest in learning.

Benefits of Gamification

• Increases brand awareness. The effect is multiplied if the game project becomes viral.

• Keeps customer engagement at a consistently high level. Most users claim that the game form attracts them more than regular content.

• Increases sales due to high lead generation. Also, digital gamification contributes to additional sales.

• Promotes a product or service unobtrusively: There are native references in the game’s plot.

• Increases the loyalty of current customers. In the game, there is a friendly communication between consumers and the company, aimed at creating positive emotions.

Disadvantages of Gamification

• There are niches where gamification is less effective than others.. The technology of games is unlikely to receive the approval of the audience from serious companies, for example, in the field of defense industry.

• Gamification is costly time and money. Costs increase if you have to invite a team of specialists from outside to build game processes.

Examples of using gamification in marketing

Guessing the Oscar Winners at Kinopoisk

The user guesses the winners of the Oscars 2023. The lucky winner will get points that can be spent in Yandex Plus services.

To take part in the game, one had to choose films and actors that, in the opinion of the participant, would win the competition.

For each guessed position (and there were many), the participant received a certain number of points. Ultimately, they could accumulate from 100 or more. With these points you can actually pay for purchases in all Yandex Plus services. Thus, the participant receives discount bonuses, and stores receive loyal customers.

Birthday of MIF publishing house

The MIF publishing house often pleases its readers with various activities, but in honor of its 18th anniversary, it has come up with even more cool things: drawings among buyers of paper books, nominations among bloggers and writers, a surprise book in parcels, free courses, and so on.

In the game “Bear Catches Books” each participant can win a discount on the purchase and receive an e-book as a gift.

The winner must have time to apply the discount before a certain time, otherwise it will burn out. But even if he does not use it, he will already have a gift book.

So the publishing house attracts new customers and increases the loyalty of regular customers.

MIF also gives gifts for subscribing to the blog. This means that the reader will always be aware of new products and promotions and in the end, most likely, will become a buyer, who will then take part in the activities of the publisher.

Summer adventure with “Chitay-gorod”

At the beginning of summer, Read City launched an email game among readers. The store divided the buyers into two teams and in each letter offered to do some kind of activity. For this, the subscriber received bonuses to the account.

The store provides bonuses for a certain period, pushing the participant to purchase. By combining bonuses and frequently held promotions from Chitai-Gorod, you can make profitable book purchases.

Guessing the artist in Yandex Music

If the user guesses the performers of three songs, he will receive a 60-day subscription for free. An effective way to attract a new audience.

Traveling with Pobeda around the cities

Pobeda Airlines launched a game on its Telegram channel, during which subscribers guessed which city they were talking about by emoji. For correct answers, the company gave a discount on tickets to these destinations.

Warren Buffett and Tinkoff Investments

“Tinkoff” has created a quest, the plot of which is based on the real path of billionaire Warren Buffett. The player will face a choice that once faced a great investor. He may agree with Warren’s decision or choose a different path.

At the end of the game, it will become clear whether the player was able to become an investor better than the American entrepreneur. Perhaps the world of investments will drag the user so much that he decides to invest with Tinkoff.

Guessing words of 5 letters with “Tinkoff”

The online bank launched a game, guessing the words in which the user receives gifts from Tinkoff partners.

For example, one of the most profitable gifts was 50% cashback from Ozon.

Thus, cardholders remain active and loyal customers of the bank. Such activity will also attract new users to make profitable purchases, because Tinkoff has a huge number of partners.

Conclusion

Gamification in marketing is a really working creative tool to attract new customers and retain old ones. The method has a number of advantages, the main of which is the ability to overcome the “banner blindness” of modern users. However, games are not a “magic pill”: this approach requires a significant investment of money and time and is not appropriate in every situation.

Before launching gamification, it is necessary to clearly define the goal and objectives of this action. The target audience is of great importance: there are categories of customers for whom the gaming approach will not increase, but, on the contrary, will reduce loyalty. Next, the script is written, the technical features are discussed. Upon completion of the work, be sure to conduct a preliminary test, and only then broadcast the game to the masses. But even then, the results of the introduction of gamification into the marketing of the company must be closely monitored.