You might not think a concrete-themed trade show would be a blast but enter Wacker Neuson’s booth at World of Concrete (yes, this is a real event.) Every year, one of the big attractions is the “Trowel Challenge.” When I first heard about this competition, I pictured some construction guys with handheld trowels in a bricklaying competition. When I saw it with my own eyes, it was much more like a gymkhana (see Ken Block) video than anything to do with brick and mortar.
The trowels are something out of a Mad Max movie. They’re so big, a person rides on top of it, with tank-like controls that spin two giant fans that essentially move the trowel across the concrete.
Flipeleven created the first digital version of this competition over a decade ago as a hype campaign where spectators could try the online game and win prizes leading up to the World of Concrete event while retaining . Today, this approach is more relevant than ever. As people all over the world are doing more events, meetings, and everyday work virtually, online games are an accessible way to reach a younger generation within any industry. Your project may not be as easy as turning a race into a racing video game, but here are some ideas for in-person situations and their web-based gaming counterparts.
1. Scavenger Hunt
A popular way to gamify a booth at a trade show is to host a scavenger hunt inside your virtual booth. What’s great about this version is it’s not bound to the location of the trade show, you can scour the World Wide Web for any clues to the hunt or have participants look for items around their house. You can drive traffic to your website by hosting the game on a landing page and make it even easier by using an app like GooseChase.
2. Rewards Gamification
A great example of rewards gamification is the Starbucks Rewards program. The coffee giant offers different tiers of rewards based on “Stars” accumulated from purchases. Rewards could include discounts on purchases, exclusive swag and more. This is a great way to keep your brand top of mind and build loyalty with your customers while gathering email contacts from your biggest fans and showing them your appreciation.
3. Sweepstakes Campaign with Online Retro-style Game
Much like the Wacker Neuson Trowel Challenge game, a sweepstakes video game campaign could include include a competition for the highest score, then a drawing for prize winners. The best version of this we’ve seen recently on a business-to-consumer level was Trolli’s Deliciously Dark Escape. If you have a Medium subscription, you can read a detailed case study on how to recreate the web-based gummy game for your own brand.
Each of these interactive and engaging gamified ideas require a digital strategy and some web-based know-how to accomplish with success and optimal participation. If you’re interested in learning more about gamifying your product or service, feel free to contact us.
