Gamification: definition, origins, and areas of application

This article is the first in a series on gamification. The first question you’re asking is “But what is gamification?”. Don’t worry, to make everything clear for everyone, we will start with a definition of gamification.

What is Gamification?

In simple terms, gamification involves applying game-based motivational techniques to non-gaming domains, such as work. These techniques include setting objectives to accomplish a mission, rewarding users, engaging them through competition, encouraging them to collaborate in teams, giving them statuses that will elevate them in the eyes of others, and, of course, letting them earn points.

But gamification is not a new concept.

Gamification: A Brief History

More than 2000 years ago, our Lydian ancestors resorted to games to fight famine and save their people. What did they do?
While a great famine affected Lydia, the Lydians invented games: knucklebones, dice, ball games, and all other forms of play. This is what they did with their inventions to forget hunger. They played alternately for an entire day to distract themselves and forget the hunger that plagued them, and the next day, they ate instead of playing.

Games are often spoken of as an activity purely for pleasure, but this example of the Lydians shows us that games can take on another meaning. This highlights the potential of games in our daily lives. It was by seeking to exploit this potential that airlines launched loyalty programs in the early 1980s.

Loyalty Programs: An Early Form of Modern Gamification

Let’s fast forward several thousand years. It’s 1981, and United Air Lines launches its first AAdvantage program. Flying with this airline allowed users to earn points they could exchange for free flights and trips to paradise islands. But these earned points also grant travelers statuses, leading to upgrades. Airline loyalty programs are a very good definition of gamification because they use it to retain customers and encourage them to consume, in this case, to travel. Airlines based their approach on several traditional game elements to enhance the user experience:

• The points: they measure the traveler’s activity; the more they travel, the more points they earn, the more experience they gain, and the more rewards they access.
• The rewards: beyond a certain threshold, earned points can be exchanged for rewards. This will therefore encourage the traveler to travel more to earn more rewards.
• The status: earned points not only allow for rewards, but they also confer a status upon the traveler. This status reflects the traveler’s experience and corresponds to their level in the game. The more experienced a traveler is, the higher their status, and the more benefits they have access to.
• The competition and community: the fact that some frequent travelers have access to benefits will make other travelers want to reach their level or even surpass them. They will also create a community by exchanging tips to gain even more advantages.

The Role of Digital in the Rise of Gamification

These loyalty programs laid the foundations for the gamification phenomenon. But the real revolution comes from the enormous opportunity presented by the web. Indeed, the internet makes it possible to gamify more easily, more quickly, and by reaching ever more people.

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Gamification: Fields of Application

The applications of gamification are vast. All domains can use it.

The objectives of gamification are identical to business objectives, whatever they may be: better learning, increased performance, more sales, increased collaboration, or anything else. And these objectives are achieved by using the data that users generate to motivate, engage, and direct actions.

In practice, within companies, the departments that will most frequently resort to gamification are marketing, to increase customer engagement, and sales management, which will use game mechanics to encourage sales representatives to sell more effectively.

An important element of gamification in business, especially for sales representatives, is to provide precise objectives, real-time feedback, rewards for each completed task, and a community to challenge people among themselves and collaborate.

Today, companies like LinkedIn, Nike, and AirFrance use gamification to improve customer experience, retain them, and also motivate their employees.

Gamification is therefore a combination of game mechanics to encourage service users or company employees to engage more in an activity.

Incenteev’s engagement platform allows you to help your teams excel and keep them motivated all year long by using gamification techniques to set up your sales challenges.

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Other Articles You might be Interested in:

• 3 Myths about Corporate Gamification
• 5 Essential Points to Know about Corporate Gamification