Level up with gamification

We live in an economy stimulated by adrenaline – engaging and sparking our senses with almost everything we do, whether it is scrolling through curated videos on Instagram, watching an T20 match with bated breath or even live chatting with fellow fans of Mirzapur. In this day and age where attention spans are short, it is necessary to have the right consumer engagement strategies in place. So brands and content providers are looking to deliver their message while evoking a response from the viewers in a way that keeps them coming back for more.

To accomplish this, data is critical.

Games help capture data with ease. They engage users in an active way that delivers a constant adrenaline rush. This fundamental nature of games has given content providers an avenue to integrate game mechanics with content and engage audiences better.

Gaming provides a two-way interaction channel between the user and the game. Not only is the game influencing the users, but the users are also directing the flow of the game with their every action. This engagement helps the algorithms to recognise, learn and respond to actions by the users, helping build a profile of the user and their persona which aids the service provider deliver content that is based on users’ history, patterns, interests and much more.




Promises & Perils

The big opportunity in gamification is that most content, be it sports, news, TV or non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles, they are very linear experiences; and have no engaging meta-experiences around them. As Matt Bailey, Founder & CEO, GameOn, says, “This creates a less-than-exciting experience for fans which results in low engagement, retention and monetisation for the content owners and the stakeholders. Fans want to play, they want to influence the content they are consuming, and don’t want to be just passive viewers, especially the Gen-Z and millennials.”

Gamification has emerged as a pivotal tool in implementing consumer engagement strategies that can solve the consumer acquisition and retention goals of a company. Gamifying shopping experience, watching sports, news, realty shows or any type of content allows you to connect with anyone, anywhere and enjoy a moment of connection over a game. In addition to that, it also connects the users with rights owners. “A large part of our viewers consume our content on linear TV. With gamification we can try to make their experience seamless. Say, as the person is singing on a realty show, viewers can tap on their face and cast their vote for their favourite singer. This can help us keep our audience engaged and keep getting them back to our platform” says Divya Janardhana, Product Manager (Head Gamification), Zee Entertainment.

While we know that gamification can play an important role in creating a deep level of engagement, it is also necessary to note the challenges it faces. Rahul Bhardwaaj, Co-founder & COO, Junglee Games, points out that ‘overgamification’ can be a huge ‘turn off’ for users. “If you gamify too much you will end up creating a sect of users who will only be interested in playing the game, eventually alienating other users. In fact, gamifying too much can complicate your product and distract users from the main task,” says Rahul.

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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Gameon