Shopping Centre Congress sets its sights on gamification

Gabe Zichermann, CEO of Gamification Corp in New York

The gamification congress session features CEO of Gamification Corp from New York, Gabe Zichermann, in conversation with Doug Mayne, MD of Primedia Lifestyle Group. Zichermann is also chair of GSummit, a TEDx speaker and author of The Gamification Revolution, which, with his previous books, has helped define the industry's standards and frameworks.

"Gamification uses the best ideas from games in a non-gaming context," explains Zichermann. "It takes the power of apps like Candy Crush and makes it useful for marketing, employee management and more. At a deeper level, ideas like challenge, mastery and progression are elemental to its efficacy."

When his team 'gamifies' a challenge, it starts by taking it apart and looking for a system that enables individuals to achieve their internal goals, then it aligns the company's goal to that desire. "After that, we look for different ways to make the experience fun, and build a long-term achievement system. Once you put it together, users have something they really want to do, enjoy doing, and that delivers benefit for the organisation."

In short, gamification makes it fun to achieve serious goals.

The connection between retail and gamification may be closer than ever imagined, says Mayne. "It has the ability to level the playing field between increasingly knowledgeable shoppers and in-store staff. It can be applied to a wide range of business challenges and opportunities."

Zichermann believes the physical space of a mall provides a tremendous canvas to create a number of new and innovative shopper experiences. "Customers themselves are looking for a sense of progress and completion and it really is a great environment to deliver meaningful, fun experiences that drive incremental revenue."

Aside from providing a richer shopping experience, gamification has the ability to positively influence results and deliver in many areas.

In South Africa, gamification is such a new opportunity and there are few instances of its application locally. "There are many opportunities for gamification here, but perhaps its single biggest opportunity is to up-skill staff within organisations," says Mayne. "It can be used to reward or recognise contribution to a company, educate about the products on offer and the organisation in general and other key areas within the business."

The 18th SACSC Annual Congress takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 20-22 August 2014.

For more information, email az.gro.cscas@ellehcim or az.gro.cscas@minsat or go to www.sacsc.co.za.