Research Outline

Gamification and Human Behavior - Case Studies

Goals

To find 2-3 additional case studies that highlight how specific technology and/or apps are "gamifying" human behavior. Focus on industries like (but not limited to) financial services, technology, communications, and consumer products. For each case study, 1) provide the company/brand name, 2) explain what they did and why they did it, and 3) illustrate what the results of those actions were. All case studies must be from within the last three years.

Early Findings

We were able to examine one additional company using technology or apps to "gamify" human behavior during this hour of research. Our findings indicate that gamification results in higher engagement rates and increased brand loyalty while providing a useful way for companies to collect user data.

Case Study #2: Ally and Monopoly

  • In October 2019, Ally launched an augmented reality (AR) version of Monopoly where users could "play" the game in real time. The "game board" cities were Detroit, MI, Charlotte, NC, New York, NY, Chicago, IL, Seattle, WA, and Dallas, TX.
  • Ally turned each of these cities into a live-action version of Monopoly. Players would go to specific locations to score points, win prizes, and learn financial lessons. Ally even assigned each city one of the traditional game pieces complete with a life-size statue.
  • The company also incorporated the use of social media with the hashtag #AllyMonopoly so that players could share their gaming experiences with their online communities.
  • The game had two purposes: it served as a marketing effort for Ally and presented an opportunity to teach consumers more about personal finance. Players learned ways "to save responsibly and to spend responsibly" and in doing so build personal wealth.
  • The game was Ally's way of participating in an ongoing movement to increase financial literacy. 41% of Americans lack confidence when it comes to money management, and 81% feel that games are a great way to teach complicated financial concepts.
  • Over 350,000 people participated in the game, which awarded $1 million in prizes.
  • The cities also competed against each other for the opportunity to win a donation from Ally to their Junior Achievement chapter. Detroit was the 2019 winner.

Proprietary Research

In addition to this public search, we scanned our proprietary research database of over 1 million sources and were unable to find any specific research reports that address your goals.