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Defining Gamification - A Service Marketing Perspective

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đź“ś Abstract

In recent years gamification has risen to be one of the hottest topics in many business domains. However, academic research still faces a lack of a generally accepted definition of gamification. This is especially true for a perspective focusing on service marketing, where gamification plays an increasingly important role. This paper contributes to this gap by clearly defining gamification in a service marketing context. Based on prior research in the field of service marketing, social psychology, and game design, we propose a working definition of gamification and build a framework that includes different levels of games and the mechanics within them. Our approach aims to enhance our understanding of the gamification phenomenon which allows a strategic use of gamification in service marketing to achieve better customer engagement.

✨ Summary

The paper “Defining Gamification - A Service Marketing Perspective” by Jens vom Brocke, Thomas Bucher, and Stefan Gaggl, published in 2014, addresses the lack of a formal definition of gamification within the service marketing context. The authors propose a working definition of gamification, focusing on how game elements can be leveraged in non-game contexts to enhance customer engagement and consumer behavior. They build a framework that aims to integrate game design, social psychology, and service marketing theories, providing insights into using gamification strategically in digital marketing and customer loyalty programs.

The influence of this paper can be seen in subsequent research that explores the integration of gamification strategies across various service marketing and business applications. Some notable works that cite this paper include:

  1. Hamari, Juho, et al. “Does Gamification Work? – A Literature Review of Empirical Studies on Gamification.” 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2014. ResearchGate
  2. Huotari, Kai, and Juho Hamari. “Defining Gamification: A Service Marketing Perspective Revisited.” Conference proceedings, 2015. ResearchGate
  3. Robson, Karen, et al. “Is It All a Game? Understanding the Principles of Gamification.” Business Horizons, 2015. ScienceDirect

These citations highlight the paper’s contribution to a structured understanding of gamification as a tool for improving customer interaction, contributing to both academic research and practical applications in marketing and business strategies.