Staff

Recap: The Power of Gamification to Create Engaged and Inspired Customers

/in /by
Share

We saw all the die-hard B2B marketers at the August monthly meeting – still working hard while everyone else is on vacation.  You missed a good one but here are some highlights from Rick’s presentation which was thought provoking indeed:

Gamification has been with us for some time but was traditionally used in sales.  Today, gamification can be applied across the board in both B2B and B2C and is limited only by your imagination.   He introduced us to the term Lagniappe (pronounced Lan yap):  Something unexpected that sets you apart – a key element in any gamification strategy.  He also pointed out that one of the most receptive audiences to Gamification is Millennials because they grew up with technology.

There are two parts to gamification:  Dynamics (Why it works) and Mechanics (How it works.)   While adoption of gamification efforts is increasing, still 80% of these efforts fail because they are initiated in a silo when it really needs to be part of an overall strategy.  Done successfully, gamification yields a 10X higher absorption and retention rate than any other form of education.

We can’t summarize Rick’s whole presentation, but do check out his slides where he engaged us in a game, much like Jeopardy, and then shared this cool site that lets you create your own game,  www.Jeopardylabs.com.

Bottom Line:

  1. Know your audience, your company, and your culture.
  2. What are you trying to accomplish?
  3. What kind of technology are you going to use (familiar, user friendly?)
  4. What kind of rewards and recognition will you use (going back to #1, know your audience)
  5. Game Mechanics:  How will it all come together?
  6. How will you measure the impact & success?

Finally, Rick’s  top five rules for bringing gamification to your company are:

  1. Executive buy-in is a must!
  2. Explain the rules of the game
  3. Create a master communication plan
  4. Reward employees who spread the word (brand advocates)
  5. Ask for feedback – and then DO SOMETHING with it.

Again, the slides from the presentation can be found on slideshare, and if you are interested in exploring a gamification initiative at your company, you can reach Rick DeMarco at Inward Strategic Consulting, 650-804-8268 or drop him an email at rick@inwardconsulting.com.