While elements of gamification — leaderboards, badges and levels — have appeared in a business context for years, recent technologies are driving increased interest and greater potential in this field. Real-time data analytics, mobility, cloud services, and social media platforms can accelerate and improve the outcomes of gamification, while a broader understanding of behavioral science suggests new applications.
WAYNE Lin points at the onscreen scoreboard for his new application that allows friends to compare and discuss their household electricity use. “Energy consumption is not something people usually talk about,” he says.1
But on this app people are talking—a lot. Users are leaving tips, providing support, sharing successes and having fun as they challenge each other to reduce their energy usage. One user jokingly laments that he has cut back on his television viewing to help his ranking and is now woefully unprepared to talk about the latest reality TV gossip. Conversations are cross posted on Facebook where people not directly using the application can jump into the discussion.2
Gamification is about taking the essence of games—fun, play, transparency, design and challenge—and applying it to real-world objectives rather than pure entertainment. In a business setting, that means designing solutions for everything from office tasks and training to marketing or direct customer interaction by combining the thinking of a business manager with the creativity and tools of a game designer.
Opower is not alone in the attempt to improve energy efficiency with a new approach. “We’re all about the game mechanics,” says Yoav Lurie, CEO of Simple Energy, whose social game elements and data analytics combine with real-world prizes.8 Lurie’s company participated in an energy efficiency program piloted by San Diego Gas & Electric that succeeded in more than doubling energy savings among participating residential customers during a three-month period.9
Global behavioral data integration: A third phase for business is just beginning and is expected to become more prevalent. This phase centers on the notion that, as more platforms track behavioral data, the aggregate of data could provide insight to the business. This is a phase where many, if not all, enterprise systems of record “talk” to each other about a user’s behavior throughout the system. At an even more advanced level, these data could be linked with third-party data providers, open data sources and paid data sources. The caveat is that it may require organizations to develop and agree to terms on standards for sharing data, while maintaining strict data privacy and security standards.
Not a trivial pursuit—real results and real money
In the summer of 2011, Facebook announced it would use the social performance platform Rypple (now part of Salesforce.com) for internal reviews and communications.20 Rypple allows employees to create and compete in challenges, receive recognition from colleagues, see what others are working on, and find where needed skills may exist within an organization. But Rypple is not a game. It doesn’t even look like a game. It was designed, however, with several game design principles in mind
It’s time to play
Businesses should start thinking differently about how to engage customers and employees. Gamification can provide a reason for a customer to visit a website or a store more often. It could give employees a new way to obtain the feedback they desire on job performance. It could connect customers in a way that makes them feel rewarded and respected for their opinions and support of your business or product.
In today’s engagement economy, where time and attention are becoming increasingly scarce and resources precious, people are likely to gravitate to activities that are authentically rewarding and filled with the opportunities to achieve, grow and socialize. The lessons that can be learned from games and game designers are one set of tools to help us increase our return in such an economy.