Gamification in Tourism: A Review of SunCitySpeaks 2013An Educational Presentation | Ryan Thompson (Founder & CEO) & Karri Scott (Marketing Director)

Welcome!

Karri Scott!Marketing Director!Aria! @KarriScott

Ryan Thompson!Founder & CEO!Aria! @RyanAThompson

We change how people experience destination brands

through strategy, branding, marketing and digital

experiences

What we’ll cover

1) What is Gamification? 2) Gaming history with TACVB 3) Taking it home 4) Q&A

Game-i-fi-ca-tion?

Its entertainment. Branded. Your audience has to have fun or they

disengage. You’re P.T. Barnum

Easy. Convenient. Low Barriers. The “next big thing” in the app world may be cool but

ultimately convenience matters. If you want participation, use tools they know

Purpose-Driven What’s the end goal? Awareness, Engagement,

Conversion? Knowing your objectives will provide clarity in game design

Tag, Flag, Hunt... Don’t overcomplicate things. Social games generally

mimic kids’ games. Capture the flag, Scavenger Hunts and races are all socially effective

Win + Win + Win Awareness for the brand.

Fun and value for the audience. Promotion without advertising.

Gaming History with TACVB

The BeginningThe birth of Battle Royale in

2011 in San Marcos

With a fun loving tourism audience, we

went bold and over the top creating

immediate awareness

A Capture the Flag concept used social media clues to drive

participants to a physical flag

located on property

We split players into four regions across the state.

Facebook was the platform and we manually managed

the game

“It was a smashing success”Bridgette Snyder!

Former Supreme Allied Commander, Emperor and President Emeritas , TACVB

More than 100 social posts, dozen of game-play destination images and a full case of Texas wine to the winners

Bigger & BetterThe next evolution of Battle Royale in 2012 in Killeen

In 2012, we expanded the game, prizes,

platform and interactions to drive greater

engagement

Expanded to all popular social platforms to allow players to participate on their platform of choice

Last SummerA completely new game,

reimagined and redesigned for El Paso 2013

Advanced focus on individual gameplay that built audience

profiles for each player that enabled

personalized marketing

Implemented Pre-, At-, and Post-Event Marketing

Simple branded landing page! registered users and presented questions

Opt-in game allowed personalized communication with email and SMS

Deeper partnership with El Paso provided local incentives chosen by the CVB

Every interaction provided 3 options that began to segment players

Every interaction was branded, highly visual with a carefully crafted message

Outdoor Nightlife Culture

Each response contributed to a profile builder gaining intelligence on every interaction

Personalized Itinerary

You gave us a peak into your personality by answering questions, taking photos, and interacting with us at TACVB 2013. From what we’ve learned about you, below you’ll find a personalized itinerary

for the next time you’re visiting El Paso, Texas.

Enjoy.

You are an Outdoor Lover

In two days, over 1000 responses were received

with over 85 personal itineraries built

Responses averaged every 3 minutes with over 40% of TACVB participating

Consumer Benefits

Play. Prize. Pride. Game play is fun and social has made it acceptable for adults. Combine that with a chance to win and

take the crown and you’ve got gold

Educated. Entertainment. The best social games educate often without the consumer realizing. They have a blast and walk

away with new destination knowledge

Rewarded loyalty. Its simple quid pro quo. They play, you reward, they’re entertained and appreciative and all this

creates loyalty and memorability

Your Benefits

The Best of non-Advertising. Modern consumers are smart and can easily

detect when they’re being sold. This is entertainment and they’ll love you for it

Elevated Awareness. Modern consumers are smart and can easily

detect when they’re being sold. This is entertainment and they’ll love you for it

Deeper Engagement. Its doesn’t end at awareness. Gameplay requires participation equalling engagement. But this isn’t

“read my newsletter”. Its fun, rewarding and deeper

Planning, Concept & ExecutionSocial Gaming in your Destination

Be Strategic. This stuff is fun but don’t lose site of the situation. This is serious business and you’re looking for a

result. It starts with strategy

?ASK: “Why are we doing this?”

Plan the Work. Work the Plan. Don’t underestimate the effort. This is an event, much like a festival. It takes thorough planning

among internal employees and external stakeholders

?Timelines, Deliverables, Partners

Concept & Challenge Creating your concept is critical and we don’t just

mean creative design. What it is, the business objective, the creative rationale and the

consumer reward are all critical

Its a Business Plan

The Concept

The Rationale

The Reward

The Brand Awareness

Execute & Be Prepared Like a special event, execution must be carefully scripted and choreographed. Real-time games with frequent rewards requires a talented team

?Director, Producers, Writers, Promoters

Remember, its about the Results Its all fun and games....except its not. Social

gaming is a marketing channel and your campaign is a marketing investment like any other

Know your goals, match your metrics

What’s Next?Stay tuned for the next evolution in the Summer of 2014 in Bay

Area Houston!

Q&Aariaagency.com @ryanathompson

ryan@ ariaagency.com @karriscott

karri@