From senet – a game played by Pharaohs in ancient Egypt – to the more modern phenomenon of Monopoly, games have a powerful draw. And now they are being partnered with business objectives. Yes, it is the hot startup buzzword of 2012: “Gamification”.

If the pairing of “business” and “games” immediately conjures thoughts of time wasted on Farmville, then it is time for you to take a second look. Gamification is all about injecting fun, recognition and/or competition into otherwise standard business relationships – using game-like techniques to motivate employees and customers to help you reach your goals.

Getting Started

Are you intrigued by the potential of gamification but at a loss as to what your next steps should be? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What are my objectives? Game elements should not be instituted haphazardly. Instead, figure out what it is you want people to do. Then evaluate which of those goals would most benefit from gamification.
• What would most appeal to my target audience? There is a big difference between what motivates a risk taker versus a more cautious personality. Take time to figure out what rewards would mean the most to your customers; if they dislike it, you could do more harm than good.

via www.odesk.com

If your company is looking for a digital agency to provide you with a unique, inspiring and engaging form of branded entertainment, then look no further than Matmi…. 

http://www.matmi.com/contact.php

info@matmi.com

Phone: (+44)01625 560771

Twitter: @matmi

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Matmi

Samsung is embracing a business trend called gamification, which takes elements from games and applies them to other settings. Companies like Recyclebank, for example, use game incentives, like points and rewards, to prompt consumers to perform eco-friendly activities. Other businesses offer awards like virtual badges to induce their employees to embrace corporate goals and increase productivity. Meanwhile, a number of well-known retailers and brands, including Samsung and Warner Brothers, are employing point reward systems as a way to engage customers more deeply.

For companies, the premise of gamification is that it engages people in the kind of reward-seeking behaviors that lead to increased brand loyalty, not to mention increased profits. By tracking the online activities of people who sign up for such programs, companies can also amass more detailed metrics about each user — the better to identify the most active customers.

“People use gamification to measure and influence user behavior to meet their business goals,” says Kris Duggan, the chief executive of Badgeville, which designs game-based programs for companies, including Samsung.

Game techniques, Mr. Duggan says, prompt consumers to spend more time on company Web sites, contribute more content and share more product information with Facebook and Twitter adherents. One of his clients, he says, uses a gamification program to collect information about 300 actions — like posting comments or sharing with a social network — performed by several million people.

Read the entire NY Times article here

via theopportunityengine

Via Scoop.it - Branded Entertainment and Digital Marketing

Branded mobile applications for smartphones such as Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone may be the most potent form of advertising yet developed, new research shows. The study confirms that using branded mobile apps increases consumer interest in product categories and improves consumers’ attitude toward the sponsor.  

Check out what Matmi did for United Airlines:

http://www.optathlon.com/awards.php - A suite of Apps to entertain and educate passengers helping to raise millions of extra revenue for UA.

Contact Matmi to see if we can help your business grow.  

http://www.matmi.com

info@matmi.com

Twitter: @matmi      

Jeff Coghlan is the creative force and digital visionary behind award-winning branded entertainment specialists, Matmi (www.matmi.com).

From a childhood fascination with ‘computers’ and subsequent qualifications as a systems analyst, Jeff’s fate in digital marketing was finally sealed with the arrival of the Internet.

“I couldn’t understand why people were putting such boring text-based websites together when, to me, the Internet was an infinite number of TV-like channels operating 24/7 all around the world. I decided to fight the boredom and released an online game to promote Matmi’s first website. That’s when everything changed,” Jeff explains.

Indeed it did – for company, creator and the rest of the planet. Before viral marketing had a name, “Monster Poolside Sumo” had quickly gone global, racking up millions of plays (and it’s still out there….). Jeff realised that engaging consumers with discreetly branded online games was highly influential – and much more powerful than traditional online advertising.

Success breeds success

Since 2001, Matmi has gone on to prove it theory time and again with brands including United Airlines, EMI Music (Gorillaz, Iron Maiden), Philips, J Nicholls (Vimto), ASDA, ITV and Parlophone (Lily Allen). Campaigns have attracted decades worth of brand exposure worldwide – and Matmi has the stats to prove it.

• Vimto Soft Drinks: 32 years’ worth.
• Cancer Research: 50 years’ worth.
• Iron Maiden: 62 years’ worth.
• Philips Sonicare: an astounding 163 years’ worth of online airtime – and the demographic for this campaign is 5 – 8 year old children learning how to brush their teeth!

As a digital strategist, Jeff’s opinions – not always popular or mainstream – are sought by clients, major advertising agencies and happily, his peers too. Speaker engagements include The Develop Conference (2009, 2010), Elmwood’s Digital Picnic (2008), Brandhouse Digital Sparks (2010) and most recently a roundtable with Brand-e.biz (the branded entertainment specialist site) on “Why Brands Play Games”.

Find both company and creator online at www.matmi.com and on Twitter (@Matmi) or Facebook.

For more information please contact:
Michelle Hill
+44 (0)1625 560771
michelle@matmi.com