Gaming has proven on countless occasions it’s more than a mere trend, it’s a powerful engagement tool that has yet to reach its full potential.
Gaming has proven on countless occasions it’s more than a mere trend, it’s a powerful engagement tool that has yet to reach its full potential.
The global gamification market is worth £40.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to £70.4 billion by 2030.
Non-betting gaming app users checked leaderboards up to 10x throughout an event. (1000% engagement increase).
80% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that personalises their experience.
93% of organisations indicated data privacy is a top-10 organisational risk.
95% of businesses said the benefits of data security outweigh the costs, with the average organisation seeing a 1.6x return on investment.
As gaming continues to grow, brands are waking up to the countless opportunities gaming presents. Whether it’s by incorporating gaming into their existing strategies or by “gamifying” their apps, businesses are starting to see the value of tapping into the gaming mindset. But what exactly is “gamification”? Simply put, it’s “The process of adding games or game-like elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation3 .”
Research backs this up, showing that gaming can be a powerful tool for brands to connect with customers. A study by Habachi, Matute, and Saumell revealed that game-like experiences not only make users more likely to keep coming back to apps but also increase their loyalty to the brand4. And it’s not just theory—there are countless real-world examples of brands that have successfully used gaming to boost engagement.
One of the best examples of a business using gaming is Duolingo. By turning language learning into a game, Duolingo has attracted over 45 million active monthly users5 . A 2021 study even found that 80% of its users enjoyed learning more because of its gamified approach6.
Just like AI, gamification has become one of the hottest buzzwords in recent years. The global gamification market is currently worth £40.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to £70.4 billion by 20307. So, it’s no surprise that brands are keen to cash in on this trend.
Gartner even reported that 70% of the companies on the Global 2000 list have already adopted gamification in some form8. But despite this, many businesses are still holding back their potential. The question is: why?
Data.
93% of organisations ranked data privacy as a top-10 organisational risk, with 36% of businesses ranking it within the top 59. While these concerns are valid, it’s important to remember that collecting data is key to delivering the kind of personalised experiences that audiences don’t just expect, they demand.
That’s why we’re diving into the use cases and benefits of integrating gaming strategies into business plans. We want to show how brands can turn what might seem like a simple distraction into valuable data, all whilst building stronger relationships with audiences, boosting customer lifetime value, driving audience engagement and retention.
Utilising games within business strategy or “gamifying” current offerings may seem like another trend that’s here today and gone tomorrow, but trust us—you’ll be hearing it for a long time to come.
At its core, gamification is simply adding game-like elements to things. Think of setting goals, racking up points or badges to show your progress, or even leaderboards to stir up a bit of friendly competition. And that’s just the start!
So why is gaming such a powerful tool to target customers?
To put it simply, gaming taps into some of our most basic human drives. We love feeling in control of our lives (autonomy), we crave the satisfaction of getting better at things (competency), and we enjoy connecting with others (relatedness)10, and the proof is in the research!
Here at Dizplai, we found that during live sports events, people using non-betting gamified applications checked the leaderboard up to 10 times throughout the event11. That’s a whopping 1000% boost in engagement, creating plenty of opportunities to monetise second screens and capture precious first-party data.
But we aren’t the only ones who have seen the effectiveness of gaming first-hand.
Take Avon for example.
Avon created an AR Instagram filter in collaboration with a popular Brazillian reality show, allowing users to collect points that could be redeemed for Avon products. Throughout the campaign, more than 200,000 people opened the filter, capturing more than 40,000 leads whilst making significant noise online for the brand12.
Avon is an excellent example of how even though gaming may not fit into the box of tricks typically deployed in your industry, you can rewrite the rules and set the new norms for how brands in your industry should act.
Applying gaming to your marketing isn’t just about giving your customers a one-time positive experience with your brand —it’s about opening the door to a whole new world of opportunities to connect with your audience.
In today’s world, customers expect more from brands than ever before, and if you’re not stepping up your game, you might just get left behind. The beauty of gaming as a strategy is that it offers a wide range of opportunities, whether it’s during the game itself or through long-term personalised marketing efforts.
Applying gaming strategies brings a wealth of benefits to the table, such as:
Let’s face it—customers are demanding more personal attention from brands, but with data regulations tightening up around the world13, how are companies supposed to gather the information to fulfil customer needs and solve their pain points?
Enter gaming.
By inviting customers to sign up to track their scores, join competitions, or challenge friends in a leaderboard, you make data capture feel fun. Helping you to create frictionless, natural touch points where your customer doesn’t mind inputting their data.
Thanks to the treasure trove of first-party and zero-party data collected through gaming, you can craft personalised experiences that truly resonate with your customers. And let’s be honest, personalisation isn’t just a “nice to have” anymore—it’s an expectation.
According to McKinsey, 71% of consumers expect personalised interactions with brands, and 76% get annoyed when they don’t get them14. It pays off too, personalised calls to action convert 202% better than generic ones. Marketers have even seen a 760% boost in email revenue from personalised, segmented campaigns15. If that doesn’t scream “necessity”, then what does?
Another big win with gaming strategies? Skyrocketing customer engagement.
Research shows that games have a serious positive impact on brand engagement, helping companies strengthen their ties with customers and keep them coming back for more16.
Take MastercardTM, for instance. Their gamified campaign resulted in a threefold increase in traffic to their partner brands’ websites, coupled with double the usual engagement levels of a campaign17, showcasing the power of gaming in action.
Here’s where things get really fun. Games naturally encourage people to share their results, which is fantastic for organic marketing. WordleTM has proven this idea isn’t just speculation.
A staggering 59% of Wordle players say they share their results “sometimes” or “often”18, sparking conversations between players and creating buzz around the game. In fact, Wordle sharing became so prolific that Medium published an article politely asking people to stop sharing their Wordle scores19! When a game is so popular people feel compelled to show off their skills without being asked, you know you’ve had a viral marketing win.
By incorporating gaming into your marketing, you’re not just tapping into a trend—you’re leveraging an incredibly effective tool to engage and grow your brand, all whilst producing the content your customers want to see.
If you think gaming can’t be applied to your industry – You’re wrong.
There’s a common misconception that gaming applications are a tool that can only be used by “cool” businesses, in “trendy” industries, and we’re here to debunk it.
Sky Sports gave fans the chance to score live fights as they watched, allowing them to compare their scores with the official judges. It may seem like a subtle addition to the viewing experience, but Imagine this scenario:
It’s not just about keeping fans entertained for a minute; it’s about adding a whole new dimension to their viewing experience. Fans are not only watching boxing—they’re actively participating in the production. Showing off their boxing knowledge whilst creating memorable moments with friends. The results speak for themselves, with 600k+ fans already submitting their scores11.
The quiz and entertainment sectors also have untapped potential for gamification. Take The 1% Club for example. By integrating an interactive app that allowed viewers to play along with contestants in real-time22, they created a truly engaging fan experience.
#1 in the UK iOS/Google App Store for multiple weeks22
Over 1 million downloads22
Millions of sponsor impressions per episode22
The results prove that adding game-like elements to TV shows isn’t just possible—it can completely transform the viewing experience.
The Football Association of Finland wanted to build stronger connections with its fans and improve loyalty. So, they gamified the experience by creating the “Pair the Players and Jerseys” game23. It was clearly effective, as what started as a temporary campaign soon turned into an ongoing, always-on strategy. The numbers may seem modest, but considering Finland has just 136k followers24 (compared to England’s 12 million25), the results are phenomenal:
4000+ sessions
225+ registrations
840+ clicks on FAF game hub
Furthermore, Hanna Korpimäki, CRM & Data Manager at FAF, indicated gaming will always be on the FaF radar as she said, “We’re eager to leverage gamification to gain deeper insights into our fans. Our goal is to understand who they are, their favourite players, and their preferences24.”
KFC wanted to make some noise about their new “Ebi (Shrimp) Puri” product, but they wanted to take it a level further than simply promoting the product on their socials.
They launched the Shrimp Attack game, where players defended the KFC castle from invading shrimp. Once players completed the game, they earned a voucher to try the new product.
And the results? Finger Lickin’ Good!
22% of players redeemed their reward in-store26.
106% increase in-store sales compared to last year26.
195k unique players, with an average of 4.4 replays per player26.
In short, businesses from a wide range of industries are proving that gaming strategies can lead to huge gains in brand awareness, engagement, and—sometimes—even sales. However, there’s one important thing to remember: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
Take KFC’s campaign, for example.
Their goal was clear: Get customers to try the new product.
The game gave customers an incentive to engage, which directly aligned with their business goals. Similarly, the Football Association of Finland aimed to increase recognition of the national team, and their memory-based game worked to achieve that.
So before you dive headfirst into “gamifying” your marketing, take a step back. Think carefully about the actions you want your customers to take and design your game mechanics to drive those actions. That’s how you’ll truly hit the sweet spot and make gamification work for you.
Beyond using gaming to boost business goals, it also holds great potential for helping brands gather first-party and zero-party data. But, what is first and zero-party data, and what’s the difference between the two?
Zero-party data is information that consumers willingly share, like their favourite player or sports team.27
First-party data comes from interactions between users and your brand such as purchase history, newsletter sign-ups, or account details.27
Both of these data sets are goldmines for understanding your audience. They can help you identify new demographics, strengthen relationships with loyal customers, and create personalised experiences that boost customer lifetime value. But there’s a catch: customers expect value in return for sharing their data. Whether it’s entertainment, rewards, or something else, they want a fair value exchange.
That’s where gaming comes in. Gaming allows you to gather insights into your audience whilst keeping them engaged and entertained. A successful gaming strategy offers real value to the user, making the data collection process feel fun. Instead of asking your customers to fill out a dull form, you’re offering them a discount or tailored experience in exchange for their data.
Gathering information such as customer preferences allows you to re-target your audience with personalised experiences, sharing relevant products and offers, increasing engagement and driving sales. 80% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that personalises their experience28, so these activities clearly translate into real business value.
Contact Information:
You can gather e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and even mailing addresses, opening up various avenues to contact and engage with your audience.
Demographic Information:
Capture details like age, gender, and location to better understand who your audience is, helping you tailor your marketing strategies and create more compelling offers.
Consumer Preferences
This provides valuable insights into what your customers care about most, giving you a clear picture of their passions and interests. Allowing you to create more relevant campaigns.
Discount Influence
By offering targeted, personalised discounts thanks to the data you collected, you can effectively retarget customers, reduce cart abandonment, and boost conversions.
According to a survey by Thomas Reuters, 82% of respondents from the US, UK, and Canada flagged data and cybersecurity concerns as their organisation’s biggest risk29. But does this mean avoiding data collection altogether is the answer?
Of course not!
In today’s era of personalisation, data is more important than ever—and the stats back it up. McKinsey & Company found that data-driven organisations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers than those that don’t leverage data30. That’s because personalisation isn’t just a trend; it’s what your audience craves. They want personalised experiences that guide them to their next favourite product, in their favourite colour, on their platform of choice. And if you want to deliver those compelling, tailored experiences, you need data.
A report by Airship, which surveyed 11,000 people across 10 countries, shows that consumers are happy to share their information with brands, especially when they know it will lead to personalisation and incentives. The data customers are most willing to share includes31:
With more than half of the respondents open to sharing this information, you can run targeted campaigns that reach untapped markets and better understand your customer’s needs. It’s a win-win for both sides.
But let’s face it—knowing all this doesn’t mitigate the fear of collecting data, as well all know, mishandling data can have serious consequences.
So, what’s the solution?
It’s simple: invest in data privacy.
Cisco’s research shows that 95% of businesses said the benefits of data security outweigh the costs, with the average organisation seeing a 1.6x return on investment in data privacy measures32. Harvey Jang, Vice President and Chief Privacy Officer at Cisco, even said, “Privacy has become inextricably tied to customer trust and loyalty32.” So, data privacy isn’t just about avoiding penalties; it’s also a major selling point that can boost customer trust.
But, if you take advantage of that trust, the consequences can be severe. A huge 74% of people say they value their data privacy highly33, and in 2020, McKinsey found that 87% of respondents wouldn’t do business with a company if they had concerns about its security practices34.
Sources
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