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A Complete Guide to Gamification in Marketing


Brands are using gamification to boost customer loyalty and engagement. In this article, we define gamification in marketing, explain its benefits, and show how to incorporate marketing gamification into e-commerce campaigns.


What is gamification in marketing?

Gamification in marketing incorporates gaming elements — like points, challenges, leveling up, badges, and leaderboards to enhance brand engagement.


Examples include rewards programs, points for purchase, and personalized product recommendation quizzes.


Why gamification is important in marketing

Brands combine gamification and marketing because it:


  • Creates a positive customer experience. Because users are drawn to (and enjoy playing) games, gamification marketing fosters positive experiences, which customers then associate with the brand.


  • Engages customers. While most marketing is consumed passively, gamification creates interactive, engaging content that is memorable. 


  • Builds loyalty. Positive experiences — with rewards and incentives — trigger emotional connections with customers, building loyalty.  


  • Removes barriers to purchase or sign up. Games ease customers into the purchasing funnel with minimal effort and move them closer to a purchase or sign-up.


  • Increases sales. Marketing gamification creates urgency, especially if points and rewards expire, encouraging purchases.


  • Encourages social sharing. Gamified content is widely popular and shared on social media, amplifying the impact of campaigns.


Effective gamification marketing strategies

Here are some effective gamification marketing strategies with examples.


Product recommendation quizzes

Product recommendation quizzes are fun and enticing. The gamification aspect (answering interactive questions) keeps customers engaged, while the result page (which recommends products that meet their needs) helps convert them. 


Function of Beauty, uses product recommendation quizzes as their primary marketing funnel to capture new customers and drive revenue. In the first three months, hundreds of thousands of customers completed their quiz.


a screenshot of Function of Beauty product recommendation quiz result page

Interactive calculators

Interactive calculators use gamification to help customers assess their needs and discover new solutions. 


Touchpoint Solution, a company selling wearables designed to reduce stress, has a stress calculator on their website, allowing users to assess their current stress levels. Customers can quantify their problem and are then pointed towards Touchpoint Solution products.


A screenshot of the personal stress profile quiz on the Touchpoint Solution’s website

Website games

Brands use website games — like spin-the-wheel pop-ups and virtual scratch cards — to engage users. Like other forms of gamification in marketing, users must provide their email address and agree to marketing emails to play the game and earn discounts or a free gift.

Isabelle Grace, a jewelry brand, hosts a spin-the-wheel game on their website. Users can spin to earn rewards, including free shipping and product discounts.


A screenshot of the spin-the-wheel game on the Isabella Grace website

Loyalty programs

A loyalty program is another form of marketing gamification. Customers earn points, stars, or other currency as a reward for every purchase. They can then trade these rewards for discounts or special offers.


With Starbucks Rewards, customers collect stars for every dollar they spend. These stars are redeemable for free Starbucks food, drink, or merchandise. Users who collect 450 stars for 12 consecutive months reach the Gold level and enjoy its associated perks for the rest of the year.


Starbucks’ loyalty program also incentivizes users to download the Starbucks app. Once downloaded, the app provides even more gamified experiences and special offers that keep users engaged. Starbucks then uses the app engagement data to evaluate customer purchasing behavior and create personalized marketing materials.


A screenshot of Starbucks’ Rewards page, an example of marketing gamification

Progress bars

Progress bars track progress towards rewards,  like a free gift or free shipping that motivate customers to complete purchases. 


Murphy’s Naturals, a company selling natural insect repellents and bite relief balms, uses a progress bar on its website. When customers add a product to their cart, the progress bar displays how much more they need to spend to qualify for free shipping.


A screenshot of Murphy’s Naturals’ cart and progress bar

Virtual try-ons

Virtual try-ons are a fun way for customers to see what a product looks like on them — or in their homes — before committing to buy it. Brands use virtual try-ons for many products, including glasses, make up, hair dye, shoes, and interior paint colors.


Baume & Mercier uses this technology for its watches. Customers can select a watch, click virtual try-on, hold their phone up to their wrist, and see how it looks. Interestingly, the brand doesn’t ask customers to download an app or provide their email address in return for this functionality. Instead, they use this gamification solely to improve the customer experience.


A screenshot of the Baume & Mercier virtual watch try-on

Virtual stores

Brands with large marketing budgets can create a digital version of their store for users to explore as if it were a video game.


In the Lacoste virtual store, users can browse and click on products they want to view in more detail. They can even control the store soundtrack. 


Lacoste adds another layer of gamification marketing by encouraging users to look for hidden crocodiles within the virtual store. If users find all of the crocodiles, they could win a Lacoste voucher. A members-only area of the store is available to users who create an account and join Le Club Lacoste.


A screenshot of Lacoste’s virtual store, an example of gamification in marketing

Try gamification marketing today

Combine gamification and marketing to harness the power of fun, competition, and surprise to better engage customers, drive loyalty, and boost sales. 


Visual Quiz Builder makes adopting a gamification marketing strategy easy. Create custom, on-brand quizzes for your website to offer engaging user experiences and match customers to the products that best meet their needs. You can also leverage zero-party data to segment and retarget customers through personalized marketing campaigns.  


Start using gamification today with g Visual Quiz Builder. Add an interactive quiz to your store, engage customers and boost sales. Start a free 14-day trial today.



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