Gamification is a buzzword that has spread quite a lot recently, particularly with the pandemic putting us all inside. Many brands searched for ways to engage with their audiences in an entertaining way, between Netflix binges or gaming sessions. Brands caught on to the skyrocketed popularity that gaming had brought about. And what merely began as an idea in the back of a few strategists’ minds, has quickly become the new hot tech topic that everyone should leverage in order to stay on trend and engage their audiences. As Gamification continues to be successful, will it be a staple of our lives 5 years from now?
A “quick” google search of Gamification shows us which brands are boarding the gamification ship. From Duolingo to Robinhood investing, if there's an app for it then it’s going to be altered in some way to make you enjoy tapping on your screen. Many wouldn’t be joining the trend if it wasn’t for hard statistics able to back it up. In fact, it has been found that brands that use gamification have seen a 700% increase in retention. (FinanceOnline) Those numbers don’t lie and they offer us a glimpse into the world that brands are currently living in. An unprecedented increase in retention from just a few simple changes almost seems like a gold mine. The goal of gamification is to make normally mundane tasks entertaining. Will checking your bank account soon be met with fun animations and sounds? When you check out of a store and hear a nice little music tone, does that make you want to come back and hear it again? These are the simplest of gamification techniques.
As nearly everything we use strives to gamify our lives, the question arises of if we will ever tire of it. Will people become tired of all the little tones and gaudy animations? Something can be fun once but will it still be fun if you continue to do it ad nauseum? While gamification is the current future of tech, there’s no way to say it’ll last. Because like everything before, trends either evolve into our new daily lives or they pass us by? I don’t know if gamification is set to change our lives for good, but whatever journey or evolution the gamification trend takes, I’m sure it will be quite a fun ride.
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