A brand that can maintain its profitability over the long term is a brand that knows how to engage its customers. Notably by optimising the purchasing journey. Indeed, engagement (the depth, quality and frequency of interactions) is the indicator of commercial performance.
In fact, engagement boosts a brand’s visibility, converts prospects into customers and builds loyalty. Engaged customers are more likely to buy regularly from the same brand and to recommend it.
To activate the neurons and engage their customers effectively, brands can rely on Playable Marketing. By taking up the elements traditionally associated with games (points, competition, level progression), brands can optimise the purchasing journey and boost their revenue.
In this article, we explain how you can make the most of the advantages of playable marketing at every stage of your customer journey!
What is playable marketing and what impact does it have on buyers’ purchasing journey ?
Whether in education, healthcare or marketing, organisations are looking for tools to capture and maintain the attention. Gamifying the way they speak to their audiences is a relevant strategy for achieving this objective.
Why ? It’s all in our brains. During the discovery phase, when a consumer starts to become familiar with a brand, the elements borrowed from the game can, improve information retention.
Neuroscience has shown that gamification acts as a catalyst, which encourages the store of new data in long-term memory. We also know that our brains are likely to retain information when it is associated with positive experiences.
During the consideration phase, when consumers are comparing an offer with that of its competitors, gamification can be a a differentiating element. The fun aspect, as well as the opportunity to unlock rewards, strengthens customer commitment.
In fact, Gamification releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that creates positive associations when we win something or achieve a goal. The feeling of happiness and satisfaction increases. We are therefore more motivated to buy from a brand that offers a gamified experience. Playable marketing is therefore a powerful loyalty-building lever.
By increasing the number of interactions, gamified campaigns enable comprehensive data to be collected. This information gives a detailed understanding of the needs, preferences and motivations. The brand can use this information to optimise the purchasing journey, improve customer experience and even perfect products.
Creating an engagement loop through gamification
One of the key mechanisms in gamification is the engagement loop. Users are motivated to carry out an action (e.g subscribing to a newsletter, buying a new product or leaving a review) because this action unlocks a reward. With each new action, customers can access even more interesting prizes. This strengthens their bond with the brand and their sense of belonging. Gamification also activates the reward circuit. Indeed, it makes customers prolong their interaction with the brand (by continuing to consume) to continue to reap the benefits.
The reward, but also the recognition offered by the brand (via a badge or access to a VIP club) becomes a motivating factor in itself. And the commitment loop starts all over again.
This is why Playable marketing is not just about converting new customers. More importantly, it builds loyalty among customers who have already bought from the brand and boosts their Lifetime Value. Brands that use gamification to optimise customer experience and their purchasing journey will see their incomes increase.
For example, with its gamified application Run Club, Nike has increased its customers’ sense of belonging. It encourages more frequent interactions and a higher re-pruchase rate. The same goes for Starbucks, whose loyalty program consists of accumulating points to move up to higher levels. This program has generated 40% of the company’s revenues and a 7% increase in sales in 2019.
Best practices for designing a gamified shopping experience
Interactive marketing formats and the gamification of marketing content enable companies to optimise their purchasing journey. However, simply introducing game elements is not enough to move a prospect up the conversion funnel.
Here are the best practices to keep in mind to maximise conversions thanks to Playable marketing.
Getting to know your customers
The first step in designing a gamified experience is to understand your target audience. This knowledge is facilitated by gamification as a tool for data collection and enrichment. Brands can collect qualified data from forms or by asking their audience to choose their favorite product.
Using the data at its disposal, the company will be able to adapt its interactive animations. It’s also a good time to segment the data collected in order to personalise and boost the performance of its campaigns.
Setting clear objectives
The brand will then need to determine which stage of the purchasing journey it wishes to reinforce. It is more relevant and affordable to determine the strategic contact points where gamification will enable the company to boost its results.
Depending on which part of the conversion funnel is most problematic (awareness, consideration, purchase, loyalty), the company can determine which marketing games to offer and when.
Incorporate relevant game elements for each stage of the customer journey
When a brand adds gamified elements to its purchasing journey, it is crucial that they make sense in the context of the customer experience. For example, introducing a points and reward system is relevant in the post-purchase phase to build consumer loyalty.
On the other hand, interactive formats such as competitions and instant wins are effective at the moment of discovery and consideration. They will help to boost brand visibility and convert new prospects.
Enhancing the added value of gamified elements
The final step is to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of gamification of the purchasing journey. Tracking precise metrics (conversion, lead generation, retetention) will enable the company to optimise its shopping experience and achieve its objectives.
Conclusion
By following these best practices, you can create a gamified customer experience that is engaging for your customers and effective for your brand. We provide a complete catalogue of interactive formats to target buyers at every stage of your customer journey. Whether you want to engage your audience, convert prospects or build customer loyalty you’ll find a gamified animation to meet your needs!
