Why gamification works (and why your credit union should care)

Let’s talk about my day yesterday:

  • First, I woke up and went on a run. I turned on an app on my phone that tracks my distance and pace and compares it with my past performance.
  • After my workout, I headed to Starbucks for a coffee. I used the Starbucks app to pay for my drink — for every dollar I spend on the app, I earn a star that can be redeemed for a reward later on.
  • Then, I came home and opened my laptop. I’ve spent the summer trying to learn some basic French (a quarantine hobby of mine), so I headed to Duolingo to take my daily French lesson. I complete some small vocabulary and grammar exercises while the program’s mascot — a lime green owl named Duo — cheers me on and rewards me with virtual gems.

I hadn’t even started working, and already my morning had been gamified from start to finish. That’s the power of gamification: Its principles can be used everywhere, for all kinds of products. It can motivate us to run a little longer, spend some more money or keep working toward a goal.

But what exactly makes gamification so effective? Here’s a super-simplified explanation, from a Gen Zer who uses it every day:

 

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