How do you choose the right gamification platform or tool for your loyalty program?

When we look at loyalty programs, either starting a new program or iterating by bringing in new platforms/tools for engagement, I like to remind those that loyalty is the result we're trying to achieve. We can then work backward and define the small steps we believe we want to take to help achieve loyalty from our customers, and what we believe will drive them to continually stay active in our program or engage with the brand. Having this in place, we can then start to look at the features, platforms, and gamification techniques that will help us achieve each small step towards loyalty.

Gamifying a broken Loyalty Program will result in a broken gamified Loyalty Program. Before embracing gamification, take a pause and ask yourself: - What are people currently engaged in? - What customer issue are we addressing? - What barriers impede their progress? - How do we envision the outcome? If the response justifies gamification, you can go ahead then. But don't start with 'I want to build gamification for my customers.' Always start by understanding the problem you're solving, not the solution.

If your core customers check their phones frequently, it is a good idea to make the gamified loyalty program available to them in an app as well. Encourage members to engage in social sharing. You can also create badges and leaderboards, because when customers can see how others are progressing in the program, it builds a sense of competition. To better understand your customers’ preferences, engage them with a likes/dislikes quiz or show them a selection of images so they can select the option that is closest to their hearts. All the information gathered through gamification can then be used for segmentation and better targeting, helping you offer more personalized rewards.

It's all about the end-goal. Are you looking to create additional touch points outside normal purchase occasions, or just inject some fun, or perhaps collect data. Maybe you want gamification to support revenue growth.

Programmziele können je nach Unternehmen unterschiedlich ausfallen. Zwar gibt es viele Studien, die belegen, dass beispielsweise Kundenzufriedenheit ein relevanter Erfolgsfaktor zur Bindung darstellt, allerdings können andere Faktoren eine weitaus höhere Bedeutung zur Loyalität beitragen und somit höher priorisiert werden. Deswegen muss jedes Unternehmen für sich eine Zielhierarchie festlegen, was benötigt wird, um das Hauptziel, eine höhere Kundenbindung, mittels Treueprogrammen zu erreichen und welche Stufe von Loyalität erreicht werden soll (kognitive, emotionale, konative oder Verhaltensloyalität?) Grundsätzlich trägt der Aufbau von Zufriedenheit, Vertrauen & ein hohes Involvement positiv zur Verhaltensloyalität bei.

There are lots of excellent providers out there that you'd be crazy to try to invent this in-house. But do try to be bespoke. Off the shelf games won't connect the user with your brand that we'll and may not hit your objectives.

Folgende Einflussfaktoren spielen bei der Kostenschätzung von Loyalitätsprogrammen eine Rolle: - Welche Systeme sollen integriert werden? (Website/Webshop, POS, CRM, Marketing Automation,...) - Wer soll die Integration der Loyaltyanwendung in die IT-Infrastruktur übernehmen? - Ist ein Loyalty Konzept bereits vorhanden? - Welche Funktionen werden benötigt? - Gibt es bereits eine App? - Wer soll die Programmanwendung hosten? - Mit wie vielen Programmmitgliedern und Transaktionen werden erwartet im 1., 2. und 3. Jahr? - Sollen Prämienpartner miteingebunden werden? - Wer soll das Programm konfigurieren und betreiben?

There are multiple aspects to consider. 1. Ensure the gamification tool offers seamless integration with your existing systems (like CRM, POS, or e-commerce platforms) via APIs. 2. Assess the ease with which you can modify or customize the gamification features. 3. Ensure the platform can scale with your business growth. Look for tools that support an increase in user base, transactions, or new program elements without compromising performance. 4. Assess the platform's ability to provide analytics. Look for tools that offer insights into user engagement, behavior, and program performance. These 4 are the most important, in our experience, as a gamified loyalty tech vendor.

Um personalisierte und relevante Vorteile anzubieten, ist eine Integration der Gamification Plattform in die eigene Unternehmens-IT-Infrastruktur unerlässlich. Dies kann über eine API oder Batch-Files geschehen. Für eine einheitliche Datenverwaltung verschiedener Anwendungen und Kanäle zu ermöglichen, bietet sich eine Middleware an, die einen einfachen Datenaustausch zwischen Systemen ermöglicht. Ebenfalls empfehlenswert ist die Integration eines Datahubs, der als zentraler Speicherort für alle Daten darstellt. Der Datahub sollte auf einer skalierbaren und flexibel-anpassbaren IT-Infrastruktur liegen, um einen schnellen Datenaustausch in Echtzeit zu ermöglichen und die Serverkapazitäten bedarfsgerecht & ressourceneffizient zu nutzen.

A usefull loyalty program must be enlaced into your operational enviroment. Before choosing a platform, make sure it's integrated to your e-commerce, CRM, ERP, POS or in anyplace you imagine it running. It's important to consider the end user interaction facility as well. Who will manage that? A salesman on a store? the customer on an e-commerce? Make it friendly for admins and users and they will engage on.

Gamification is more than a trend; it's a strategic revolution for loyalty programs, injecting playfulness into transactions. Seamless integration with user experience is key—making the process enjoyable. Imagine customers collecting "stamps" for purchases, unlocking exclusive perks. Real intelligence lies in continuous feedback; actively seeking input from customers, employees, and partners is crucial. This feedback loop is a goldmine for dynamic optimization. Is it points or tiered rewards? Which game-like features resonate? This data-driven approach ensures gamification aligns with evolving customer expectations.

As Loyalty experts we are hardwired to avoid friction but the best gamification will use the psychology of video games where games are easy to pick up but hard to master. Don't be afraid to include a lot of friction to get the customer to the ultimate goal. This realises euphoria and a super-strong feeling of success that creates an extremely powerful emotional connection.

Gamification should be easily measurable. Success or failure goes back to having clear and measurable objectives in the first place...

Gamification has been associated with badges and leaderboards for far too long. These are superficial tactics that can yield benefits, but don't move the needle for the longer term. Talk with people who have experience in game design and listen to how they create challenges, journeys and motivate players to achieve goals. In a Strategy Brief published on the Wise Marketer with Steve Bocska, we explore how these "quests" are constructed. In short, to motivate people you must present a decision, make it time limited and add consequences to the decision that matter to the customer (the player). Tapping into human behavior theory to create Deep Engagement is the new ground that is opening up in what we formerly called Gamification.

Gamification also offers an excellent way for retailers to connect supplier funding with customers, or enhance their retail media network offering. Making sure the games are segmented (even better, personalised), relevant (seasonality), and easy to understand/play can yield great results for suppliers - our own data shows game winners spend 115% more on campaign products in the months after a campaign, with even game losers spending 53% more. Gamification is a great way to generate awareness & increase sales with an engaged audience.

Don't bother with naff gamification that has been done before. Make it relevant to your brand, bespoke and aligned to your onjectives

Firstly, understand your customers deeply. What motivates them? Is it competition, social recognition, or perhaps exclusive rewards? For instance, leaderboards tap into competitive spirits, while badges can satisfy those seeking recognition. Secondly, simplicity is key. A complex system can deter customers. Your gamification platform should be intuitive and easy to engage with. This increases participation rates and, in turn, loyalty. But here’s the game-changer: personalization. A platform that allows customization to reflect your brand’s unique voice and appeal to your specific audience is a winner. It’s not just about points and rewards. It’s about creating a connection.