our thinking
Gamification Unlocked:
“The idea of gamification is a simple one: to motivate and engage people by applying game design techniques and mechanics to non-game situations. Points, level progression, badges, achievements, power-ups, virtual currency, quests, puzzles, loss aversion- all of these game concepts are involved in this growing trend that spans areas from education and work to keeping fit and green actions to improve brand experience and loyalty schemes.
While the principle of gamification may be simple, effective execution is not, as people’s motivations and approaches vary so widely. The crudest forms of gamification, such as Foursquare-style badges and points based reward schemes have been subject to an intense backlash from marketers and game designers alike. They tell us that this is not gamification but mere ‘badgification’ – a one-size-fits-all solution to a far more complex problem.
Right now gamification in marketing is uneasily balanced between hype and reality. 2012 will see a lot of great examples but also a broader understanding of its limits.
Brands that create their own closed-badge systems are likely to fail, as gamification is inherently social, either by some element of competition or collaboration between you and your social network friends and contacts. The true winner will be the first massive multi-player multi-brand multi-channel real-life game system , a ‘World of Purchase-craft’ where you and your friends will combine purchasing habits to unlock branded benefits.”
Jorge Alagon & Maarten Peschier, Millward Brown
To find our more about how etv are developing social games for brands contact Jilly at jilly.cross@etv.tv
New research released by Ovum has concluded that the rise of the second screen is now widespread, with three-quarters of viewers with broadband surfing the Internet at same time.
The analyst adds that its data provides concrete evidence as to how social TV is heating up the battle for the living room as 38% of those surfing discuss TV shows on social media. Yet it warns traditional TV players that they must understand and innovate around this area if they are to survive in the long term.
Ovum is confident that social networking will play a huge role in how people access TV and video content, with a number of devices working together to provide the complete experience.
Said Ovum principal analyst Michael Philpott: “Traditional TV players must understand and innovate around this area if they are to survive in the long term. To simply watch from the sidelines will be to hand the advantage to more innovative direct competitors, or online operators, which are becoming increasingly powerful in the media space.”
The data also revealed that just over half (51%) of the consumers it surveyed use the Internet to access further news or information related to the TV content they are viewing; 38% use the Internet to discuss the TV show on social networking sites such as Facebook. For 16–23 year-olds this rises to 59% and 53% respectively.
Even though this clearly offers opportunities for broadcaster, Philpott insists that there are also negative conclusions to be drawn.
He added: “Increased adoption of more personal Internet-connected devices, and our growing reliance on and interest in Internet applications, has reached such a level that they are diverting our attention away from the TV. It is therefore feared that it might only be a matter of time before more valuable advertising revenues also move away from the TV and onto the second screen.
“However, on a more optimistic note, there are a number of applications currently being developed that help the TV industry take advantage of these trends. The applications directly tie the TV and social networking sessions together, creating a new, fuller, and more interactive TV experience.”
The rising popularity of watching videos online has frequently been making the headlines. Just last week (13th April) Broadcast magazine announced that from a survey of 6,500 people, 82% of 35-44 year olds were watching online. The main drivers for this trend are convenience, time-shifting, on-demand catch up of broadcast. Other contributing factors include: ubiquity of HD delivery driving bandwidth, growing use of IP delivered video to connected TV’s rather than PC’s- the TV internet revolution is moving from the bedroom to the living room. With the explosive response to the release of the iPad 2, one can’t ignore the growing demand of tablet devices as second, alternative screens in the home.
This trend in online viewing has had a direct knock-on effect on the production of online video. We’re already seeing YouTube trying to professionalize video content. The danger is that all web TV content is seen as cheap and re-education required – particularly for distribution pre-dominantly on the PC- different dynamics/different viewing environment requires different logic in production, time-lengths and call to action. The medium really is the message and film-makers need to concentrate more on the dynamics of online video consumption and change their storytelling accordingly. The cardinal sin is dragging out a story- tell it well, swiftly and in an entertaining way and you can probably stop the audience from clicking on the stop button and get them to come back for the second episode- that should be one of the key measures of success in this area.
Unfortunately the increased production of online video hasn’t been matched by increased budget, which has resulted in lack of customer knowledge and low cost start–ups (we call them the wedding video-makers) who claim they will make great five minute video clips for £500. Whilst the price of equipment is in freefall, great ideas, good scripting, quality actors and good post-production are still relatively expensive. Falling technical prices means that almost every pound (£) that clients spend should be visible on-screen and add value to the proposition or entertainment provided. There are no rules of engagement for buyers and that can make the selection process difficult.
We are seeing very significant growth in investment in online video from brands, particularly from the retail sector as well as media companies. Most of the growth is coming direct from brands themselves as traditional agencies add little value in this space. Brands increasingly realizing that as they migrate their business from bricks and mortar to online they need to invest in their online personality, values and merits to stop everyone using price comparison engines etc to price compare everything. Waitrose a good example of a brand that’s doing this well –reinforcing their identity and core values through video whilst promoting healthy eating and family values.
This year will see a growing number of major household name brands adding video to the home page of their sites and increasingly using that video to tell stories and editorialize rather than just promoting a range. As brands become more comfortable with their new role as ‘media owners’, they will start to invest in content that gives consumers editorial reasons to return frequently to websites. Increasing tie-in of online video with TV (television acting as a harvesting tool driving large numbers to websites for more in depth and personalized experiences).
Click to buy functionality straight from the video will become standard. Interactive video and integration of social media will become more common and smart brands will be using video to start conversations with their customers.
Retail channels on YouView- maybe (if it launches in the next 12 months!). Retail channels on Google TV etc definitely!
Mark Cullen
