Description
The purpose of a Gamification Framework is to determine how principles and elements of game design can be applied to products and marketing programs. Gamification principles uses people’s natural desires and interests in gameplay to make tasks more engaging. Game design elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards can be seen today in many loyalty programs, social platforms, and mobile apps. The challenge for marketers is to determine if and how these principles and elements might apply to a product or program in a way that creates value. The Gamification Framework can be used to help ensure these elements are not treated as a distracting gimmick, but rather in a way that supports a larger value proposition.
Questions
The Gamification Framework helps to answer marketing questions like:
How might we further motivate customers to act?
How might we make interactions more engaging?
How might we reward our most engaged customers?
Steps
Describe this shared purpose from the brand, product, or program. Write it in a way that is meaningful and desirable to the customer, authentically ‘from the brand’, and is viewed as credible.
Identify the tasks that can contribute to this achievement. Ensure that tasks are connected to the achievement, are easily understood by customers, and can be attained with the help of the brand.
Identify the actions that a customer should stop, start, or continue to help achieve a contributing goal. Ensure that actions are clearly connected to achieving a goal, and can be recognized and quantified by the brand.
Identify the ways customers can be encouraged to act, considering intrinsic, extrinsic, tangible, and intangible motivators. Ensure that motivators are connected to contributing behaviours, desirable for customers, and can be supported from the brand.
Considering the available interfaces between the brand and the customer, identify the ways that progress may be communicated. Ensure that indicators are connected to motivators and are consistently accessible by customers
Considerations
Complete the framework from the top to the bottom to ensure gamification supports larger proposition
Test concepts with customers to understand if gamification elements are clear, usable, and motivating
Measure impact on customer behaviour to ensure gamification is leading to desired business outcomes
References
Zichermann, Gabe. Gamification by Design: Implementing Game Mechanics in Web and Mobile Apps. O’Reilly, 2011.