Gamification: what it is, how it works and marketing examples
Points, challenges and rewards to get your customers more involved, in your emails too
Gamification is the use of game elements, such as points, levels, challenges or rewards, in activities that are not games. The goal is to get people to participate more, come back more often and enjoy what they do.
It is used in education, in companies and, increasingly, in marketing. If you have ever kept a streak going in a language app or collected points on a loyalty card, you have seen gamification.
What does gamification mean?
The term gamification comes from the word game. In Spanish, the Fundéu recommends the term ludificación, although in marketing gamificación is used far more often.
The term started to circulate in the early 2000s and became popular around 2010, with the rise of mobile apps and social media. The underlying idea is older: airline points programs and brand trading cards were already playing on the same thing.
It is not about creating a video game. It is about taking what makes a game appealing and applying it to something else.
Elements of gamification
These are the most common elements:
| Element | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Points | A reward for each action | Points for every purchase |
| Levels | Stages you unlock as you progress | Silver, gold and platinum customer |
| Badges | Recognition for specific achievements | Badge for completing your profile |
| Challenges | Goals with a deadline | Place 3 orders this month |
| Leaderboards | Ranking among participants | Top 10 of the week |
| Progress bars | Show how much is left | “Your profile is 80% complete” |
| Streaks | Reward daily consistency | Consecutive days using an app |
| Rewards | What you win at the end | Discounts, gifts or exclusive access |
Progress bars work so well because we find it hard to leave something unfinished. This is explained by the Zeigarnik effect.
Why does it work?
Gamification relies on very human motivations:
Achievement. We like to see ourselves progress and complete things.
Recognition. A badge or a spot on a leaderboard gives us status.
Curiosity. Anything locked or kept as a surprise makes us want to keep going.
Belonging. Competing or collaborating with others makes us feel part of a group.
That is why it boosts engagement: people participate more and come back more often. But it only works if the activity makes sense on its own. Points will not make something interesting if it isn’t.
Examples of gamification in marketing
Tiered loyalty programs. Airlines, hotels and coffee chains reward their biggest spenders with levels and perks. More on customer loyalty.
Apps with streaks and achievements. Language and fitness apps celebrate every consecutive day and every goal reached to build a habit.
Profiles with a progress bar. Many professional networks show how much is left to complete your profile.
Spin-the-wheel and scratch cards. In an online store, a pop-up with a prize wheel offers a discount in exchange for an email address.
Seasonal challenges. Advent calendars with a daily surprise, or challenges for dates such as Christmas or Black Friday.
Turn your emails into a challenge
Create automated multi-day series with Mailrelay and reward those who take part.
Gamification in email marketing
Email is a good channel for gamification, as long as the game is simple and useful:
| Idea | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Progress bar | In the welcome email, show new customers the steps they still have to complete |
| Email challenges | A 5-day series with a small goal each day |
| Hidden code | A discount hidden in the newsletter for those who read it all the way through |
| Survey or quiz | A quick quiz that gives a personalized recommendation |
| Program levels | An email showing how much is left to reach the next level |
| Surprise calendar | A different offer every day for a week |
Measure by clicks and conversions, not opens. Since Apple started hiding real opens, the open rate is no longer reliable for rewarding anyone.
And if the game includes a giveaway or a contest, publish clear official rules.
How to apply gamification in 5 steps
1. Define your goal. More sign-ups, more repeat purchases or more product usage. Pick one main goal.
2. Get to know your audience. A student is not motivated by the same things as a business buyer.
3. Choose just a few mechanics. One challenge and one reward are enough to get started.
4. Make the reward worth it. And make it achievable: if it seems impossible, nobody will try.
5. Measure and adjust. Participation, conversions and whether people come back.
Common mistakes
Gamifying for the sake of it. If the game doesn’t serve a purpose, it just adds noise.
Rewards nobody wants. The reward must be valuable to your customer, not just to you.
Complicated rules. If people have to read instructions, you lose half your audience.
Creating pressure. Streaks and countdowns work, but too much of them wears people out and puts them off.
How Mailrelay helps you
With Mailrelay you can send email challenges, automated multi-day series and newsletters with surprises for your subscribers. With segmentation you send each group the challenge that suits it and see in the statistics who clicks.
The free account includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, with human support by chat, ticket and phone.
Send your newsletters with Mailrelay
Up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts for free, with human support on every plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the most common questions about gamification.
What is gamification in a nutshell?
Using game elements, such as points, challenges or rewards, to make an activity more motivating.
What is the difference between gamification and game-based learning?
Gamification adds game elements to an activity. Game-based learning uses a complete game to teach something.
What are the elements of gamification?
The most common are points, levels, badges, challenges, leaderboards, progress bars, streaks and rewards.
Yes. With multi-day challenges, hidden codes, quizzes or progress bars. What matters is keeping it simple and making the reward worth it.
Does gamification work for B2B companies?
Yes, especially in training, software adoption and partner programs. The tone should be more restrained than in consumer marketing.