Maritz Partners with Bunchball to “Gamify” Loyalty Programs

Maritz, a leader in customer loyalty and employee motivation services, has been pressing marketers to add game mechanics to their loyalty programs as a way add vitality to stale loyalty programs.

In advancing its work in this area, Maritz has partnered with Bunchball, which brings expertise in using game mechanics to attract new members and increase activity.

The two companies are developing “next-generation programs” that are engaging, compelling and rewarding, the companies said.

“Understand that things like status, play, the social aspect and goal achievement are all part of being human beings,” Barry Kirk, consumer loyalty practice leader for Maritz Loyalty, told Promo earlier this year. “As marketers, we’re trying to get people’s attention and connect to them in a meaningful way, and games are exceptionally good at doing that across all age levels.”

Here’s a list of six game mechanics provided by Kirk to try in your next loyalty effort, including social points and a leaderboard.

Others include:

Earning badges and achievements
Tracking and rewarding online activity,
Competing for position on high-score tables
Creating virtual identities
Collaborating and competing as part of a team
Spreading the word via social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter,
Providing instant, real-time reinforcement of desired behavior.

“If you can get people to engage and participate in your program, you can drive meaningful business results,” Rajat Paharia, founder and chief product officer of Bunchball said in a release.