Gamification: Where do we go from here?

Badges, rewards, earning points and climbing the leaderboards—how can marketers leverage game-like mechanics to increase consumer engagement and build loyalty? During Social Media Week, we’re hosting a panel here at JWT to discuss the way ahead for marketers in the rapidly evolving world of gamification.

Why is gamification important?
In a JWTIntelligence survey, 63 percent of respondents agreed that “making everyday activities more like a game would make them more fun and rewarding.” More than half of the respondents stated that they would keep a closer watch on their behaviors and activities if a layer of competition were added to their everyday lives. When done right, incorporating game mechanics is a great way for brands to keep their consumers engaged and in-tune.

Gabe Zichermann, a gamification thought leader (and Social Media Week panelist), describes gamification’s importance in marketing as such:

 Gamification is rewriting economics for marketing, both in terms of customer acquisition and in terms of loyalty programming. Gamification at its core is a process, and it’s different for everybody. But it’s not like some magic guy behind a curtain who waves this wand and makes everything more fun. It’s incremental. It’s perpetual. I think every corporation will have a chief engagement officer whose job is to focus on nothing but customer engagement as their full-time gig. It’s different from marketing; it’s a very specialized position. And we’re already starting to see elements of that.

 So, what’s next in the world of gamification for marketers and how do can we develop programs to keep our consumers engaged? Join us on Tuesday, Feb. 8 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. for “Gamify Me: Game Mechanics Have Infiltrated Marketing. What’s the Next Play?” 

Moderator:
-David Rosenberg, Director of Emerging Media, JWT New York

Panelists:
-Gabe Zichermann, Author, Game-Based Marketing
-Rajat Paharia, Founder, Bunchball
-Samantha Skey, Chief Rewards Officer from Recycle Bank
-Manny Anekal, Director of Brand Advertising at Zynga Games 

Register for “Gamify Me: Game Mechanics Have Infiltrated Marketing. What’s the Next Play?” here.