Gamification: Staying Ahead Of The Game

Ben Jones, European head of technology at interactive marketing company AKQA, discusses Nike Training Club, a popular sports gamification project aimed at women.

How did gamification lift Nike Training Club above the plethora of training apps out there?

There are research indications that training apps are often only used once or twice then left in the app graveyard, rather like a new gym-goer’s membership.  However, using a key gaming mechanic like rewards and levels, we are able to continue to motivate, training minute by minute, day after day, month after month. Using social media to broadcast the consumer’s achievement enables us to further motivate them as their progress becomes the ultimate status symbol.

How effective has the campaign been?

NTC’s usage stats show how highly effective the project has been. The most interesting stats are not downloads, but rather the fact that nearly the entire user base uses the app on a weekly basis and that despite NTC being targeted at women, the user base includes a high percentage of men too. Men want the gamified experience of training that NTC offers. NTC is well into its second year and downloads continue at high velocity. 

Why do you think it has been so successful?

The hidden element of gamification is listening. Constantly analysing and then adapting and maintaining the experience. This is nothing new, as the biggest games companies in the world will testify. They constantly analyse the use of the games and the various features. What are people interested in? What are they not? When and why is the consumer not interacting?  With NTC, we take the insights and listening together with feature maintenance and product road-mapping really seriously. The result is a roadmap of fresh content, new rewards and exciting new challenges that the consumer can be a part of.