Gamification has promise and pitfalls
Gamification has promise and pitfalls
Gamification has promise and pitfalls
By Steven Peterson
April 8, 2020
Summary
Fellow contributor, Greg Heist, argued gamification is worth considering.
My background with gamification goes back to when I took Kevin Warbach's Coursera Gamification course, which is very helpful to understanding the opportunities and challenges of the practice.
There are many aspects to gamification - like PBLs, activity loops and rewards.
Extrinsic motivations are doing something for a palpable reward - like a gift card or cash.
Intrinsic motivations tie into a person's altruistic desire to contribute to the greater good with no expectation of a reward beyond feeling good about helping others.
If people are acting upon intrinsic motivation but are offered an extrinsic reward it can cheapen their motivations.
It's insulting to do what's right for such a small reward; making a work relationship awkward for $5 is just nuts.
Another potential pitfall is coupling rewards with another aspect of gamification - PBLs. Leaderboards are used to help people know where they stand, for instance.
The principles of gamification have promise, but marketers need to commit to learning the underlying theory, evaluate appropriate metrics and refine tactics of such initiatives.
Shiny things - like gamification - require careful attention.
Reference
Petersen, S. (2020, April 8). Soapbox: Gamification has promise and pitfalls. Retrieved April 9, 2020, from https://martechtoday.com/soapbox-gamification-has-promise-and-pitfalls-239879