Magical Gamification

Let's talk about gamification. What's that, you ask? Gamification is "the use of video game elements in non-gaming systems to improve user experience and engagement." Brands are using gamification for several reasons, including to create brand awareness and drive user engagement. As I learned in my social media class, more than 70% of Global 2000 organizations will have at least one gamified application by 2014. This statistic proves the importance of gamification in keeping up with competitors.

When using gamification, you should keep a few things in mind. Create rewards for effort, such as exclusive offers, status levels, and access to more levels/information. You should also have short and long term goals for gamification, as well as quick and frequent feedback which will boost sustainability. Also, allow a community to build around your gamification app, so people can share their achievements and recruit others to join.

An example of gamification is Disney's new My Magic + app, called MyDisneyExperience. This app allows users to explore attractions, park hours, make dining/hotel reservations, and even plan out your day in an organized schedule. This app allows you to connect with your friends and family, and choose a Disney character to use to represent each one of your connections. This ability to share is crucial to the growth of the app.  Users can also schedule fastpasses with this app, which gives users a great benefit and motivation to use the app. 

Click here to check out more on Disney's My Magic + and here to sign up for MyDisneyExperience and learn more. 

Thanks for reading and have a magical day!