Hello, my name is Carlos Gonzalez. I am a Social Media curator and manage the social media for many different clients and brands. I assist BigDoor with their social media goals. I have been socially promoting a gamification design studio in Park City, Utah for about two years now. I have remained focused in this niche of “gamification”, as the industry is relatively new, and frequently share my personal thoughts on my blog, gamifiXation.com. BigDoor has invited me to write a guest blog, and so I thought I’d share one of my favorite examples of gamification that works.

I often monitor the threads on Twitter regarding gamification, and see many posts from folks looking for examples of gamification. Yes, the word “gamification” has caught a big buzz in the last year, but it is nothing new at all. Some of the most successful companies online have relied on game mechanics to self monitor their large online communities. The most obvious example, eBay, which has successfully used game mechanics since day one. However, the usage of game mechanics in eBay’s strategy is rarely mentioned in any eBay news.

Status and leader boards are also nothing new, (you were probably introduced to them in Kindergarten). When game mechanics are implemented well, they create engagement and accountability within the online community (I didn’t want to read those books, but I was definitely not going to let my classmates beat me on the status board!). One of the first things I check on eBay before I buy something is the feedback score of the seller -basically the seller’s status. If the seller has a bad rating, especially on an item I am interested in –then I am less likely to buy. These type of game mechanics and online community self-policing saves eBay a lot of dollars in customer service. On eBay, you can’t buy your favorite badge or rating, you have to earn it.

While eBay has a great program for existing users, I also love catching examples of great gamification that influences potential users to become active community members. Starbucks is a prime example of a major franchise chain that is doing it right. Great gamification means a GREAT User Experience (on AND offline). You can always count on the wi-fi working flawlessly at a Starbucks location.

Today’s marketers need to understand the value of a Social Media Impression. A good game keeps you coming back to play. Because of the lousy experience I received at the last non-Starbucks coffee I tried –I never went back. Starbucks,  on the other hand –has their free wi-fi blasting 24-7 and is very consistent. They know how to keep customers happy and returning to their stores. While their online experience is smooth, I believe BigDoor could do some cool stuff with the Starbucks landing page to create stronger engagement and social loyalty to the site (such as implementing BigDoor Quests). However, I have to say –the Starbucks iphone app kicks ass and does a great job of using game mechanics (progress bars, badges, and points) to keep people playing.

I recently decided to visit a Starbucks to pay with my iPhone for the first time. Confident that my money wouldn’t go to waste, I uploaded $20 to my Starbucks iPhone app and began to play.

Without even realizing it, I had become a green level member, well on my way to gold, and in the process become even more hooked on Starbucks (or maybe caffeine?). While Starbucks does a fantastic job using gamification in their mobile app; the possibilities of gamification on their website, rewards site, and integration with the app from the web, are limitless. BigDoor’s experience in web gamification, could beef up the gamified program Starbuck’s already has with mobile and create a more engaged and loyal web audience. Like the app’s encouragement to join the rewards program, Starbuck’s website has a great potential for a landing page that encourages web users to join, engage online, download the app and start drinking more Starbucks.

Thanks for reading, would love to hear of some feedback and gamification examples you’ve come across in the comments!

Posted in: Advertising, Badges, Blog, Game Mechanics, Gamification, Gamification Tips, Loyalty, mobile, Monetization, Social Media, Technology, User engagement, Virtual Currency

Columnist David F. Carr wrote this piece for “Brainyard News” on Informationweek.com. Carr interviewed BigDoor co-founder and CEO as well as Dell’s executive director of online marketing for public and large enterprise at Dell, Rishi Dave and Red Method’s CEO Matt Walton.  An excerpt below – read the entire article here:

“Dell will use a mobile app and gamification techniques to encourage attendees to get the most out of its upcoming Dell World conference…At Dell World, which will be held October 12 to 14 in Austin, Dell will use a mobile application linked to BigDoor Media‘s gamification system to guide conference goers through the event program, while recognizing the most active participants…The application uses BigDoor’s gamification engine on the back end to track and score attendee activities at the show, together with a custom mobile application from Red Method that runs natively on iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone 7, as well as in HTML5 for BlackBerry. BigDoor provides the gamification logic, and Red Method’s app provides the user interface, including the icons displayed for achievement.”

Posted in: BigDoor news, Blog, Conferences, Gamification, mobile

Today, during the second annual Gamification Summit we’re very proud to announce that we have been selected by Dell to power gamification of the mobile application for the inaugural Dell World 2011 Conference. The conference takes place October 12-14 in Austin, TX and will bring together the most influential leaders and visionaries in the technology industry today. BigDoor was selected by Dell to create and power a gamified experience for conferences goers using the Dell World Mobile app.

Throughout the Dell World conference, attendees will find hundreds of QR codes to scan with the Dell World mobile app at various booths, panels, and in all presentations. BigDoor has created multiple ways to engage attendees through Journeys, allowing Dell to see in real-time which exhibits, sessions and even food trucks are the most popular and heavily trafficked. Each Journey is customized to a specific conference track including Cloud, Social Media, Data Center, Workforce Productivity and Data Management. Attendees are rewarded with achievements for every scanned QR code and completed Journey. Additionally, BigDoor and Dell have ensured that the attendee engagement doesn’t stop when the conference hall closes.

We’re finding that gamification has really turned a corner this past year as large brands begin to embrace this industry. We’re working with companies like Dell to help accomplish their gamification needs and bring deeper user engagement in both the online and offline world. Our technology is flexible and we’re able to implement seamlessly in the mobile space for conferences and tradeshows. We’re working with digital agencies to help large brands strategize and build robust social loyalty programs that truly drive engagement.

If you’re at G Summit today – come by and say ‘hello;’ if you didn’t make it out for the conference please shoot us an email at info@bigdoor.com and let us know how we can help with your gamification needs!

Posted in: BigDoor news, Blog, Conferences, Gamification, mobile