This activity, according to projections by P&S Market Research, in 2022 will reach a volume of more than 20,000 million dollars globally. It consists of applying the principles and techniques of games to otherwise routine and inconspicuous activities, in order to obtain better results in various fields: from the acquisition of new knowledge to the development or consolidation of concepts or skills, the change of behavior, ability to manage finances. recovering health, motivating employees and even finding a partner, already covers a market of 8000 million dollars a year. Its uses are present in both the educational and business fields.
The expansion of the use of gamification is due to its effectiveness. According to a study from the University of Colorado (2011), simulation games, compared to other learning methods, obtained a 9% improvement in knowledge retention, 14% more skill-based knowledge and 11% more knowledge. % more factual knowledge. Its use is proliferating in companies, both internally and externally, to achieve the long-awaited engagement. This strategy seeks to both improve the brand image on social networks, optimize interdepartmental processes and retain both employees and customers. It is a tool that favors the implementation of new behaviors and motivates to improve the results of a certain campaign. The companies that have implemented this method seek to motivate the work of their employees so that they are more efficient, through games in which they can get rewards, scores, be at the top of the ranking and thus obtain more recognition within them.
Gamification can provide companies with performance and productivity development. Thanks to it, psychology, motivation and game design are combined to improve behaviors in any area. If the mechanics of the games are applied, it is possible to transmit the message in a more lasting and effective way. This technique helps increase customer participation through online strategies (websites, smartphones, social networks…) and offline (shopping centers, parks, events…). With these strategies, the principles of rewards and incentives are used to increase customer action and interaction; Likewise, customer loyalty is encouraged, who will not only consume but also talk about the brand, because by making them participate in gaming processes they also have fun and there are more options for them to become a brand ambassador.
Gamification is in vogue in modern digital companies. It is a process where fun and creativity come together to capture and improve the customer experience. It integrates different game strategies in non-game environments, whose main objective is to motivate and make the work of a company’s employees more enjoyable.
The term gamification (gamification in English, also called gamification) initially originated in the digital media industry, approximately in the year 2008. Its simplest definition establishes that it is the use of game elements in non-game contexts.
This means that activities that have nothing to do with recreation and fun strategies, for example teaching or marketing, introduce elements and structures typical of games, such as a set of rules, competitions or prizes, to motivate participation. active participation of the people involved. It began to be used in the education sector, where teachers sought to make learning more fun and bearable for their students. It was a tool that favored both students and teachers since what was achieved was to enrich teaching and improve academic results. Now it is in large companies where this strategy of combining work with fun is being implemented.
Currently, gamification is present in our day to day life as a method to capture attention, increase concentration, effort and involve and achieve the active participation of users in a process in which processes and principles of communication would not appear at first. games.
Óscar García, director of the Master in Gamification and Transmedia Narrative at IEBS (Innovation & Entrepreneurship Business School) says that “in a simulator you carry out various actions: you practice ‘hard skills’, you learn to use a tool or a vehicle, you test an algorithm and also a set of coordinated behaviors that lead to an action, so you test “something” in a test environment and in a controlled way. An applied game is not the same. It is a specific development that has game elements (not like the simulator) that allow motivation to subscribe to learning and also to ‘engagement’. Additionally -he adds- ‘soft skills’ are put into practice explicitly such as teamwork, a global and holistic vision or strategic thinking, attention to diversity, management of frustration and stress, creativity”.
“Perhaps it is worth talking about motivational design and imagine that gamification is accompanied by good narratives that are transmedia, because they occur in different media. This motivational design encompasses all of the previous initiatives, since ultimately it pursues growth in skills and abilities, specific learning, powerful motivation, and behavior change. All this thanks to a memorable experience”, concludes García.
Gamification incorporated into the company as a marketing strategy has great advantages such as:
Engagement: the user interacts with the brand almost daily, thanks to this a certain loyalty will be achieved.
Improve web positioning: creating a game will increase the number of interactions with the web and therefore improve positioning.
Better communication: by creating a new link with the user, better two-way communication can be achieved.
Test: allows you to test how users respond to the launch of a new product.
Free dissemination: Gamification is also usually accompanied by word of mouth. Users will share their results in networks, in addition to testing for free as we have mentioned before.
In the internal sphere of the company it provides benefits such as motivation, improved communication or learning.
According to marketingdigital.com, gamification follows a three-step course that the traditional games we have grown up with all our lives also follow. They are, the mechanics, the process and the components of the game.
The mechanics: It consists of making the user get involved in the game in a dedicated and fun way to be able to level up, earn points, get medals and prizes, etc.
The process: Here are the personal motivations of each individual that are fed by the rewards, the prestige achieved and the recognition achieved.
Components: They are the avatar of the different players, the accumulated points, the badges, etc.
The secret of Gamification to involve workers and customers is the way to introduce game dynamics that are capable of involving users and this gives positive results. Incorporate game strategies into certain activities to motivate participants.
Gamification aims to understand what makes video games so effective, in terms of concentration, participation, dedication and success, in order to apply those same principles to other areas of knowledge. However, talking about gamification is not necessarily synonymous with talking about electronic devices and digital media, since videogames are based on three basic principles that can be applied to a board game: game mechanics, game dynamics, and game components.
The game mechanics allow the user to be involved in a dedicated and fun way in the activities that are intended to be carried out. Within these may be earning points, leveling up, obtaining prizes, standing out in ranking positions or succeeding in challenges and missions.
The game dynamics establish the personal motivations of each individual to participate in the gamified activity, for example rewards, recognition or prestige, achievements, competition or fellowship.
To understand the game mechanics it is necessary to know the elements that make it up. Some of them can be the avatars, the points accumulated by the participant, the game board or area, the badges, the medals and the social status among the group of players.
Gamification can be used, for example, to present a new challenge to employees or clients, show the basic rules of a new strategy or product. This will ensure that participants learn by playing.
Descent:
Gamification seeks both to improve the brand image on social networks, optimize interdepartmental processes and retain both employees and customers. The long-awaited “engagement” can be achieved.
Featured paragraphs:
The expansion of the use of gamification is due to its effectiveness. According to a study from the University of Colorado, simulation games yielded 14% more skill-based knowledge and 11% more factual knowledge.
Gamification is fashionable in modern digital companies. It is a process where fun and creativity come together to capture and improve the customer experience.
Gamification can be used, for example, to present a new challenge to employees or clients, show the basic rules of a new strategy or product. This will ensure that participants learn by playing.