Gamification

When I speak to both old school brick and mortar merchandisers as well as some front-leading tech companies, I’m still amazed how few know about Gamification.

Back in 2008 I remember pitching to British Airways all about the brandability of games for their in-flight entertainment systems.  Back then, companies like BunchBall, the now self-proclaimed inventor of the term ‘Gamification,’ were little more than casual game publishers.  Games are highly immersive, particularly when you’re sitting on an 11-hour flight, so the idea of strategically placing your own brand within a game seems like an exciting proposition.  Particularly when you can tie the game into compelling promotions.

But alas, few real-life examples existed at the time, and it was a hard concept to communicate.  Many companies just don’t “get” gamification, just yet.

The Gamification Summit is coming up.  Perhaps they can create an educational track entitled, “How to Explain ‘Gamification’ in Terms People Understand.”