Gamification - Coming to a dealership near you!

[kdonovan]

Gamification is the use of game play mechanics for non-game applicationshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification#cite_note-fun-1. It also strives to encourage users to engage in desired behaviors.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification#cite_note-gd-2 Gamification works by making a customer experience more engaging,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification#cite_note-vb-3 and by encouraging desired behaviors, taking advantage of humans' psychological predisposition to engage in gaming. The technique can encourage people to perform chores that they ordinarily consider boring, such as completing surveys, shopping, or reading web sites.



One of the newest marketing trends on the horizon today is Gamification. This concept has been used in automotive for quite some time (think scratch-off's and wheel's of fortune). However, rarely has this been executed well, to do this you must first understand the behavior you wish to impact and the marketing plan supporting it.

 

[davidmoon]

The way I see it, shopping for a car online is tedious enough. Shoppers are really researchers, and rarely make buying decisions purely on the basis of online information. Car buying is not a click the button to buy-it-now proposition. "Gamification" sounds like a distraction more than a benefit or an enhancement to a researcher's experience. Give me 1000 photos, videos, detailed information and a straightforward price. Build value in the local brand of your dealership by making the experience personable, with few-to-no barriers to slip into the funnel.

Maybe on a OEM level through social media "gamification" works, as you are attempting to convert a speed-up in the shopper's car buying cycle. But on a dealer level online, the visitor is already most-probably a fair prospect and ready to buy.

 

[kdonovan]

David - I agree with you, if done wrong, gamification can be more noise then value. But it is proven effective and is already in the automotive market - think the Nissan Leaf! They have tied the gas mileage into the actual software in the car and allow you to compare to other drivers - to compete if you will.

The goal should be to help your social media, your web site and even your in dealership customer experience to stand out in what is still a very crowded market. Help drive the customer behavior you wish to influence.

 

[dteschler]

The way I see it, shopping for a car online is tedious enough. Shoppers are really researchers, and rarely make buying decisions purely on the basis of online information.

If shopping for a car online is tedious enough, then why not try to make it more fun and effortless?

Shoppers are researchers, you're right, but aren't they researchers if they're on the lot or online? I would disagree though, that they rarely make buying decisions based on the information they find online. I believe the last stat I heard was that 85% of all buyers visit a website first. Again, with those types of numbers, why not make it fun for them?

Just my two cents.

 

[davidmoon]

David - I agree with you, if done wrong, gamification can be more noise then value. But it is proven effective and is already in the automotive market - think the Nissan Leaf! They have tied the gas mileage into the actual software in the car and allow you to compare to other drivers - to compete if you will.

The goal should be to help your social media, your web site and even your in dealership customer experience to stand out in what is still a very crowded market. Help drive the customer behavior you wish to influence.

Again, on the OEM or manufacturer level, it has value. On a dealer or point of sale level, it's an added unnecessary barrier; at least online. As you pointed out, it's old hat in direct mail. But those campaigns are targeting the in-betweeners.

 

[davidmoon]

If shopping for a car online is tedious enough, then why not try to make it more fun and effortless?

Shoppers are researchers, you're right, but aren't they researchers if they're on the lot or online? I would disagree though, that they rarely make buying decisions based on the information they find online. I believe the last stat I heard was that 85% of all buyers visit a website first. Again, with those types of numbers, why not make it fun for them?

Just my two cents.

The information online is part of the final decision, I agree. But it's just part of the decision-making process.

Unless you are a sadomasochist, car shopping is not fun. "Gamification" is a branding tool, and not a sales tool. It can be used to strengthen brand or move a consumer into a buying cycle.

Customer experience is everything, and dealerships must find their local brand and mix it into their process.