For over the past 5 years I have held on strongly to the view that success in future marketing communications will be given to those who learn the nuances of game design. Why? We live in an interactive world where the customer has infinite choices, unlimited paths to learning about product/services, and expectations for real-time interactions with brands. No longer is it possible to lead a prospect down a traditional purchase-consideration funnel. Instead, brands need to learn the game of improvisation; the game of story telling and interest arcs; the game of community building; and the game of engaging multiple players online via environments of their choosing (not yours).
Two resources that I would recommend to both brands and agencies to further understand game design are:
- Mike Bonifer’s Game Changers–Improvisation for Business in the Networked World
- Jesse Schell’s The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lens
Jeremi Karnell
President, One to One Interactive
http://www.onetooneinteractive.com
Jeremi
The concept of ‘the productive game’ is, as you point out, at the heart of marketing and communication in the networked environment. It is no longer sufficient, and in fact is counter-productive, to script a brand narrative (and its outcomes). It makes as much sense as handing a gamer a list of plays to run before the game has begun. In a game and in the marketplace, the environment determines the interaction. This is true in WoW, and true in Biz 2.O. Marketers who build environments and establish roles and rules are in the business of liberating customer interactions with brands. Marketers who script the narrative are in the business of burdening customers with the brand’s expectations. It’s the difference between a game and a movie. Chess is a great game. ‘Casablanca’ is a classic movie. Even the most ardent fan will burn out after a dozen viewings of the movie. After that, their involvement is more nostalgic than interactive. Players of the game will play it forever, and never lose their passion for it.
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