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From advertising to experience – why your target audience wants more than banners
Consumers are flooded daily with classic online banners, pop-ups and newsletter mailings. They rapidly scroll through their social feeds, click away ads or install adblockers. As a marketer, you probably recognise the frustration: how do you hit the right chord? The answer lies in gamification or applying game principles in your marketing.
Instead of passive advertising, you offer your target audience a short, fun experience that invites active participation. That experience lingers longer, creates word-of-mouth and turns ordinary viewers into enthusiastic ambassadors. Gamification takes your brand to the next level and helps you achieve your goals – be it brand awareness, engagement or the collection of valuable first-party data.
Questions we answer in this article:
- What exactly does gamification entail?
- Why does it work better than traditional ads?
- What concrete benefits will it bring to my brand and my target audience?
2. What is Gamification?
2.1 Definition and Key Concepts
Gamification is simply the use of game elements in a “non-game” context to encourage desired behavior.
You can use familiar game mechanics such as:
- Reward systems (points, badges, coupons)
- Progress bars (visible progress)
- Competitive drive (rankings, leaderboards)
- Social triggers (sharing, inviting, challenging friends)
Because participants receive a small dopamine boost with each interaction, a compelling urge arises to keep playing and sharing with others.
2.2 The Psychology Behind the Fun
Gamification works because it taps into fundamental motivators:
3. Benefits for Brand and Consumer
3.1 Win–win: Fun and Results
3.2 What’s in it for the Consumer?
- 🎁Instant rewards: discounts, points, free samples.
- 🎮Entertainment value: short, visually appealing games that keep attention.
- 👥Sense of community: participants feel part of your brand story and receive exclusive offers.
4. Real Examples of Game Modes
To get a feel for what gamification looks like in practice, we at SBJ deploy various game modes. Each mode has its own charm, level of difficulty, and type of reward. In our demo environment, you'll see a Scratch & Win campaign for a fictional beauty brand, but we also offer other variations:
