Gamification has taken the tech world by storm.
The possibilities of gamification and interactive digital signage, however, are yet to be fully explored.
People enjoy games because they provide escapism and a sense of achievement. Through gamification, brands and companies can manipulate this immersive experience. In-game achievements can be aligned with actions in the game-provider’s interest.
Where does interactive digital signage come in?
Gamified Marketing in Retail
As we find ourselves repeating in this blog, marketing – digital or otherwise – is fundamentally about attention. Where is your target market’s attention? Nowadays, on their phone is a simple answer that fits most demographics. They’re probably playing Angry Birds, Candy Crush or whatever mobile game is at the top of the app store today. People are obsessed. If you’re in business, you should be feeding this obsession – taking back their attention.
Almost any kind of business can turn gaming into a marketing tool. If you’re a shop manager, having an interactive screen in your shop with a game running will keep people around for longer. You can strategically place the screen near a product you are trying to push and run adverts on the screen to bring in sponsorship revenue. An interactive display in the middle of a busy shopping centre can be a great way of collecting valuable contact details from passersby. Using leaderboards in-game provides a competitive edge. Offer daily prizes in the form of shop vouchers to the best performing players. To be in with a chance of winning, players will need to enter their email addresses. That’s a pretty effective way to expand your mailing list.
Gamification in Learning Environments
A teacher tells their class there’s to be a test that afternoon. You can imagine the room’s distress. Should that same teacher propose a quiz instead – where prizes will be on offer – a very different reaction ensues. That right there is gamification in the classroom. Games allow students to learn or be tested on material without it feeling like school. Many children are kinesthetic or visual learners. Reading or writing just isn’t an effective way for them to digest information. The number of educational gaming apps and websites has rocketed in the past few years. Teachers find it easier than ever to source games that align with their curriculum. Interactive digital signage is an engaging way to introduce these resources into the classroom.
Touch screen displays can be just as valuable to museums. Children, even adults, often struggle to engage with museum exhibitions where they can only look and not touch. Gamification and interactive digital signage solves this issue. Museums can prevent visitors from handling their displays by giving them something else to interact with. Educational games, an interactive slideshow, or simply video can be used alongside exhibition signs to convey information.
Gamification and Healthcare
Gamification is also a game changer in the healthcare sector. Interactive displays are springing up in hospitals, dentists and nursing homes. They are being used to make administration more efficient through digital sign-in sheets, and to entertain patients through video. The introduction of computer games takes this one step further. Games aimed at children in particular can take the fear out of visiting the doctors or dentists. In the same way your practice might provide adults with reading material, games for young patients can help keep them entertained.
Gamification even has proven health benefits. Games played on digital screens in hospital wards or nursing homes can assist pain management through distraction. Gamification and interactive digital signage can also be an educational tool in this context. A dentist could employ a children’s video game based around dental hygiene. A nursing home might use digital signage to display exercise videos that can be turned into a light-hearted, fun activity.
Gamification and interactive digital signage are a perfect match, with possibilities in any industry.
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