Gamification as a platform for brand co-creation experiences

This study is aimed at establishing a connection between brand gamified experiences and brand value co-creation, based on a literature review and insights from exploratory research. Consumers' motivations to get involved with gamified experiences and their impact on consumer engagement and brand experience are analyzed. Simultaneously, the study explores the motivations that drive firms to implement gamified systems with consequences for brand value co-creation. Seven managers and marketing professionals were interviewed through semi-structured interviews, and two focus groups were performed to collect primary information on consumers' perceptions and motivations. Results suggest that gamification offers a platform for the development of brand engagement and relationship enhancement, through entertainment, challenges, continuous experiences, and brand involvement. Consumers seek gamified systems that provide them with fun, rewards, competition, social interactions and recognition, customization, and sense of community. Gamification also allows firms to collect spontaneous and valuable data on consumers' opinions and interactions. In sum, gamification can be seen as an innovative branding tool to promote consumer interaction and participation in brand co-creation experiences, all of which is essential to managing brand-based innovation.