Competitiveness
Competitiveness refers to an intrinsic desire to surpass the achievements of others. A competitive person will persevere in a game until achieving victory, which means the person may engage in the gamified content for long periods of time.
Gamified content appeals to persons with a competitive nature by using public leader boards and scores, which allow customers to compare their scores to other players.
The United States Army uses competitive gamification in recruitment, using a multiplayer shooting game requiring tactical skill. Players compete in this game, while analytics determine who may possess the skills of a good soldier.
Achievement-Oriented
The trait of being achievement-oriented refers to one's drive to achieve goals and success in all endeavors. Persons with this trait continuously strive for improvement and overcome struggles.
Quizzes and progress monitoring in gamified content appeals to persons who are achievement-oriented. The quizzes allow the person to test knowledge or seek self-insights. Progress monitoring provides goals for which to strive.
Coca-Cola appealed to the achievement-oriented consumer with a virtual game involving throwing ice cubes into a soda glass, with progress leading to loyalty points and discounts.
Community-Oriented
Persons who are community-oriented tend to seek out other persons with similar interests/goals, can benefit each other, and like-minded.
Badges indicating interaction levels or similar interests in public gamified content appeal to persons who are community-oriented. The badges tell others in the community what the user likes or how often the person interacts, which can attract others with similar interests and activity levels.
Skillsoft uses badges in its gamified content to promote community engagement. The badges indicate various learning levels, which allow persons with similar interests to connect while encouraging users to learn more career-related skills.
Several brands successfully use gaming and gamified content. These brands used gamified content to appeal to target audiences, experiencing positive results.
Nike
Nike uses gamification strategies in multiple aspects of marketing. The Zombies, Run! app and Nike+ app are two examples of successful gamified content marketing strategies.
The Zombies, Run! and Nike+ apps are fitness related, rewarding physical activity such as running and jogging. These and similar Nike apps give users access to personalized product recommendations, exclusive products, and information about Nike events.
Nike also used a virtual world game called Reactland, to gain publicity for the React shoe model. 48% of consumers who played the game ended up buying the shoe.
Nike has found that users of Nike's apps account for 40% more sales at Nike stores than non-app users, showing the gamification approaches have been beneficial.
Coca Cola
Coca Cola used a supermarket game to increase brand recognition and in-store sales. This game led to prizes such as loyalty points and discounts, which resulted in shoppers choosing Coca Cola products over other options more often in those stores.
As the interests of the younger generation changed, Coca Cola initiated the My Coke Rewards platform to appeal to this population. This program focuses on loyalty to the brand and to fellow consumers, encouraging interaction and engagement.
Holidays are a time when Coca Cola utilizes gamification as well, such as certain bottles having augmented reality (AR) links with holiday vingettes. The brand continues to be a leader in the industry, noting frequent engagement from consumers with gamified content being linked to purchasing the products.
The gamification market continues growing as a marketing tool, with the United States as one of the early users of the technology. Three companies identified as key players in this market include NBCUniversal Media, Walgreens, and Adobe.
NBCUniversal Media
NBCUniversal Media drives the gamification industry by demonstrating success in creating brand ambassadors out of fans using gamification.
The approach to creating brand ambassadors began with a loyalty program revolving around the USA Network show Psych, followed by a mobile app where viewers obtain behind-the-scenes clips, play games, and earn prizes. This was noted as the first successful use of a "second screen experience".
Markus Placho of Newscast Studio noted use of multiscreen technology, such as NBCUniversal's second screen app, create a key advantage in creating consumer loyalty and engagement.
Walgreens
Walgreens began using gamification in 2016 to encourage medication compliance to improve consumer health.
The health-focused gamification approach used consumer engagement, prizes, and education to encourage healthier living and medication compliance. This approach demonstrated ways the gamification industry can benefit both brand and consumers, beyond a transactional level.
An article in StartUp Health noted Walgreens continues driving the gamification industry by finding ways to make health decisions and lifestyle choices more entertaining.
Adobe
Adobe is driving the use of gamification in eLearning programs and applications. The company also teaches companies how to use gamification techniques to enhance brand safety.
Programs from Adobe assist companies in understanding the various types of gamification available for use in learning and marketing strategies, such as leaderboards, achievements, interactions, and more.
Joel Byerly of MeetingOne Audio & Web Conferencing notes the Adobe Captivate Prime platform is instrumental in incorporating gamification into learning and marketing strategies.