Gamification applied to family marketing: convincing by playing | Key4Communications |

The habits and family structures have changed in recent years, as well as the ways of interacting within the family. Some changes are driven largely by the introduction of technology in our daily basis.

From the point of view of businesses, to reach families as a unique target is not always easy, since within the family there are people with different ages and interests. Therefore, gamification can be a good tool to reach them.

The playful attitude is natural to every person and is maintained throughout life. And this is precisely the meaning of the gamification concept: the act of trying to make some environments more attractive by using game elements, as they can be a brand, business, retail outlets and social networks.

Esther Hierro, specialist in gamificaction, explained in a seminar at the School of Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IEBS) that gamification can be useful to elaborate campaigns that connect the family as a group.

Hierro said that companies should be aware that within the family there are initiators, influencers and purchasing people. Parents, grandparents or uncles have different roles in the purchase decision process. Through gamification is possible "a special bond with users, and to encourage a change in behavior or convey a message" said Hierro. By means of gamification, the members of a family can be linked to a brand more effectively than other marketing techniques so as the motivation through playing is different.

For instance, if a publisher wants to sell more books, a good strategy of gamification for would be:

- Identify key profiles
- Establish specific objectives for different profiles
- Set the desired behaviors
- Finding motivation for selling propositions
- Introduce game elements: dynamic and playful mechanical components
- Establish criteria for evaluating results

Overall, any activity can be turned into a game, and through the gamification is possible to reach and link different profiles of consumers, connecting the brand with people in a different and most effective way.