Gamification

Implications - The intimidating world of post-graduate academia is becoming accessible to the average consumer as brands leverage creative strategies and out-of-home marketing tactics. Learning about diseases and global warming, for example, can easily overwhelm consumers, so brands are trying to mitigate these feelings by being more creative and playful in their approaches to educatiion. Incorporating consumers into ads and pop-up events will allow them to feel more involved, and therefore more willing to learn about adverse topics.

Homework Question - How can your brand play a role in educating consumers, without overwhelming them? [More]

Implications - Consumers of all ages are signing up for apps and using toys to not only learn new languages but expand their existing vocabulary. With gamified apps and interactive products, the process to learn new terms and phrases is easier than ever, and it allows consumers to learn at their own pace and allocate their own time to this hobby. New products allowing consumers to increase their roster of talents and improve their personal education on a flexible basis opens many new avenues for brands to become more involved in consumers' development journey.

Homework Question - How can you play a more impactful role in your consumers continued education? [More]

Implications - Brands showing their products are turning to mixed-reality technologies in order to elevate the experiences their customer has at the events they curate. These technologies allow for more immersive visitor experiences, and create more interactive forms of engagement at showings when compared to the relatively passive act of simply viewing products.

Homework Question - Conceptualize a showing experience for your product/service that incorporates mixed-reality technology. [More]

Implications - Brands are encouraging their audience to participate in various tasks before they are granted access to the products and services they're featuring. This type of action diverts the consumers attention from being sold to; instead, brands are triggering emotions and linking them back to creating a more positive user experience.

Homework Question - What can you do to incorporate gamification into an element of your product or service? [More]

Implications - As the esports industry continues to grow, brands are creating products that focus on this niche - but expanding audience. Brands leverage various tactics to reach the gaming community, for example, gamers that desire more focus look for product ingredients that promote cognitive stamina, or for gamers who enjoy snacking while they play, brands focus on convenient packaging. Targeting subcultures with new products will ultimately allow brands to make connections and build a loyal consumer base.

Homework Question - How is your brand catering to emerging subcultural audiences? [More]

Implications - Wearables for kids are no longer only marketing their safety based functions, but are also prioritizing the enhancement of routines these products can offer children. Focusing on everything from fitness to gaming, such products appeal to parents and their children alike due to the benefits they offer in a variety of realms.

Homework Question - How could your brand enhance the routines of its customer? [More]

Implications - Offering up an element of escapism, typically unattainable experiences and adventures are revamped into digital formats for consumer engagement. Whether it be space exploration or deep sea adventures, online experiences are emerging as away to allow consumers to, albeit temporarily, experience what it would be like to engage in those activities. Not only a great source of entertainment, these digital engagements speak to a growing desire for more one-of-a-kind, exclusive moments.

Homework Question - How can you offer your consumer a sense of escape or adventure? [More]

Implications - The use of AR in food labels is on the rise, with brands using such technology to both engage and educate their customers on the products they're considering, or have already purchased. Such items cater to consumers' continued interest in gamification, and add an element of interactivity that tends to be limited in product packaging.

Homework Question - Conceptualize AR packaging or labeling that your brand could employ. [More]

Implications - As a way to engage Millennials and Gen Z, dairy brands are thinking up creative campaigns that engage, surprise and delight consumers. From cheese-dispensing billboards to on-demand grilled cheese deliveries, consumers are being exposed to new cheese products in playful ways. Hoping these tactics result in loyal consumers - and gain some social media traction from the shock factor - brands are taking big risks when it comes to convenience and satisfaction among consumers.

Homework Question - How can your brand play into gamification as a way to promote a traditional product? [More]

Implications - Brands associated with passive forms of entertainment, such as storytelling, are incorporating choose-your-own-adventure formats into their offerings in new and innovative ways. This shift comes as consumers increasingly seek out interactive entertainment that requires an immersive experience rather than passive viewership.

Homework Question - Consider how your brand could make its product, service, or campaigns more interactive. [More]