Enter the Era of Retail Gamification
Gamification is a sky idea for retail brands & is drawing a growing attention among retailers in order to incentivize and motivate their customers, as well as enhance the brand and product perception. As a marketing tool, Gamification help brands to drive new and returning customers to their store and offers insights on how shoppers engage with brands by process of turning an otherwise insipid task into an interesting game.
Gamification has been a part of retail for a long time and its principles have been incorporated in many companies sales strategy long before. For example, store loyalty cards might encourage customers to collect more points by achieving defined goals. E-commerce websites use progress bar as a gamification technique to help people complete all steps in a shopping cart. Google Map ‘local guide’ program, encourages volunteers to share reviews, photos and knowledge in exchange of points, levels and badging that gives them benefits like early access to Google features. Offering a VIP status, exclusive previews, special offers and event invitations are all strong motivators in gamification marketing to both initiate and maintain an engaged relationship with customers.
Online Gamified Experiences:
Whether a retail store is an online or an offline one, brands can enhance shopper’s store experience with game elements. InterMiles, a travel and lifestyle loyalty company formally known as Jet Privilege, allows its members to earn and redeem points across categories including airlines, hotels, shopping and dining. To encourage its members to logon through its recently launched app, InterMiles has integrated an “Spin the Wheel” feature where users can earn intermile points by trying their luck at click of a button. This enticing feature helps captivate the attention of users & gives a feel good factor that increases the probability of purchase.
Online stores can look at integrating exit intent popups to their sites to improve conversion rates. ‘Wheelio’ is one such platform, that offers a creative “Spin the Wheel” element to integrate into e-commerce portals. If a shopper intends to abandon purchase half way, the plugin prompts a Spin the Wheel popup and the user stand chance to win coupon code, which could be availed on making a purchase.
Hyper Casual Games builds strong Brand Association:
Numerous restaurant brands and retail companies have started to incorporate ‘Hyper-casual’ games into their customer-oriented strategies to enhance loyalty, improve customer retention & generate leads. Hyper-casual games are lightweight, simple, instantly playable short session games. ex. ‘escape run’. Platforms as Gamify allow brands to choose from a bunch of casual games that could be used if the brands online store is built on shopify or wix platform. Brands can customize the game elements suiting the products they sell so that customers can relate it back to the brand. You can set the games procedure and rules and the value of reward. By overcoming obstacles such as levels and challenges in the game, a player will gain score, badges, upgrades or rewards as set by brands. These reward points could be exchanged for free services or discounts at stores. On game completion users can be presented with data fields to capture customer insights. Before deciding on game option, it is necessary to understand the target audience - gender, age, interest etc. inorder to choose on right game & give an effective user experience to brands target demography.
After the initial excitement of a new app wears off, keeping users motivated can be a challenge. Brands can overcome this by introducing alternate games periodically. An interesting casual game can cultivate good customer engagement, conversion rate, repeat customer and more social shares.
Nike’s gamified approach in building Fitness Community:
Without a personal trainer, encouragement or a running partner, fitness training becomes a out of habit for many people. ‘Nike Run Club’ (NRC) is an initiative from Nike to help people overcome this motivation gap by bringing together runners, trainers, and athletes in a common app platform. NRC is an example of a major business with successful gamification marketing that allows app users to track runs, custom coaching plans and get training tips. Celebrating progress is an effective way to improve user engagement and NRC has features as leaderboards, trophies and badges to congratulate users and encourage them keep going. The app also allows users to socially share and compare their accomplishments.
On the selling part, Nike gives product recommendations that are personalized based on the users profile and running style. A Similar approach by fashion brands by bringing together their fashion designers, stylists, models and its fashion savvy customers in a common community platform can bring in more brand engagement.
Building Playful Moments at Physical Stores:
Gamified experiences are just not limited to online and could be deployed in physical stores in form of in-store kiosks to grab customer attention. Through these interactive displays, brands can board shoppers play games and surprise them by adding points to their existing loyalty program. Apparel and accessory brands can harness the idea of AR technology (through AR mirrors) in their physical stores and make customers try different products on them. ‘AR mirrors’ can catch attention of shoppers easily due to its cool factor. Gamification in physical store makes customer spend more time at stores, give positive experiences on brand and help brands gather data on customer.
Read more at, www.brandmystery.wordpress.com