"Gamification is one of those shiny objects that periodically captures companies' attention - a tactic that promises to boost engagement and revenue metrics. After all, everyone else seems to be doing it, so why not your company, too? At its core, gamification means applying game design elements in non-game contexts to tap into human motivation - boosting engagement and participation over time. In marketing, that can translate into higher revenue, stronger loyalty and longer customer lifetime value."
"Gamification has many moving parts, from points, badges and leaderboards (PBLs) to activity loops and rewards. The danger lies in trying to implement everything at once, making it hard to isolate what's actually working. When results blur, stakeholder confidence fades. Throwing spaghetti at the wall might show what sticks, but it usually just makes a mess. Understanding how to reinforce desired behavior is crucial - but motivation is tricky. People act for different reasons."
"The danger comes when those motivations are mismatched. Offering an external reward for an intrinsically motivated action can cheapen the intent and reduce genuine engagement. At one of my previous workplaces, a self-serve snack kiosk ran on the honor system."
Gamification applies game design elements in non-game contexts to tap human motivation and can boost engagement, loyalty and customer lifetime value. Typical elements include points, badges, leaderboards, activity loops and rewards. Implementing too many elements at once obscures what drives results and erodes stakeholder confidence. Motivation differences matter: extrinsic rewards like cash and gift cards motivate differently than intrinsic desires to contribute or do good. Offering external rewards for intrinsically motivated actions can cheapen intent and reduce genuine engagement. Practical design requires isolating and testing specific mechanics and aligning rewards to the target motivation to avoid backfiring.
Read at MarTech
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