Gamification takes social marketing to the next level, but is it here to stay?

If you've linked your Nike+ iPhone app with Twitter or unlocked badges from Foursquare check ins, then you have 'gamified' your interaction with a brand. Many, including Google, have since caught on to the trend of unlocking awards and badges, but gamification needs to go beyond simple 'badgification' merits, according to Preethi Mariappan, TBWA\RAAD's Head of Digital Arts.

"I think what Foursquare did was took the whole badgification thing, but everyone gets caught up in terms and we shouldn't be setting these rules that gamification is just about rewards and points. That's not what it's about.

"The whole notion of rewarding people for checking into a place went mainstream and a problem is that brands look at that and think 'we could do that', but they can't. They're not a media platform so they can't behave like Facebook or Twitter."

Gamification works for big spenders Nike and Volkswagen, but what are the limitations?

Offering a more unique user experience, in contrast from other tried and tested targeted marketing approaches, a gamified marketing strategy could seem off-putting for an SME, but budget shouldn't be too prohibitive, says Mariappan: "I don't think it's got anything to do with size or scale of an agency, brand or organisation, I think it's got to do with the type of idea you have and the skillsets you have to be able to do it."

At the close of the Dubai Lynx workshop, TBWA's Digital President for Asia-Pacific (APAC) Charles Clapshaw cited a principle gleamed from PepsiCo's new head of digital: "Even when you get really big, continue to behave like a start-up because that's where you take your risk."

"It's important for brands to think this way too," added Mariappan. "It's far more important for brands to think like that because you can grow so big with 10 different processes and by the time you finish all the bureaucracy, you can miss a lot of opportunities."

Can gamification work beyond a single advertising campaign?

One of the biggest risks in requesting interactive engagement is asking too much. In the age of the internet, where convenience is king, a gamified advertising campaign walks a thin line. The ideal strategy sits between asking too much from its audience, such as producing a video, or making it so easy that there is no perceived challenge.

"With digital, it's not always campaign-based, it's more behavioural-based, so that means your 'game' ideally keeps on every year. Hopefully your audience is looking forward to seeing what you're going to do, and once you've got fans you can build on that," said Clapshaw.
"I think the age of convenience is ending. People have sacrificed quality for convenience and now the tide's turning a little bit and some brands are willing to spend a bit more to give a better experience."