This is the “decade of gaming” according to Seth Priebatsch, chief ninja at Scvngr. My youngest son certainly agrees with this, but there is a wider implication than just sitting in front of the plasma screen. Seth suggests that if the last decade was about building the social framework of connections (which is now in place – see Facebook) then this decade is about influencing behaviours through game dynamics.
In marketing, we are used to adopting some of the dynamics of gaming to drive marketing communications campaigns, like frequent flyer miles, reward schemes, money off coupons. Seth argues that even LinkedIn’s profile completeness bar drives behaviour as it recognises that people will work hard to get it to 100%.
He gives four game dynamics that drive behaviour: Appointment Setting (eg Farmville), Influence and Status (eg platinum credit cards), Progression and Dynamic (eg LinkedIn), Communal Discovery (eg Digg). TechCrunch, in fact, expands his list in to 47 game dynamic theories.
By understanding social behaviours (the need to collect hockey cards, the need to have the best sound system) and understanding how they relate to online behaviour (eg playing Farmville all day, or commenting on every news articles) marketing can positively drive prospect behaviours in target markets. It’s much more than just playing a game. It’s about understanding customer behaviours to drive business development.
Just a thought.
Tim
You can watch Seth Priebatsch’s TED talk HERE.
Blog Post: How to build gaming in to your marketing
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