June 13, 2026
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rajat paharia on big data, loyalty, and gamification

The Future of Loyalty is in Big Data and Gamification

Ivan Kuo02 mins

Today’s loyalty programs are like the Bruce Willis character in the movie The Sixth Sense. They’re dead, they just don’t know it yet. They have failed at creating actual loyalty, at keeping up with a rapidly changing world, and at engaging all the constituents that matter, a company’s customers, partners and employees. It’s time to take back the word “loyalty” and make it actually mean something. By utilizing the Big Data generated by our constituents as they interact with us, combining it with an understanding of human motivation, and using the data-driven motivational techniques of gamification, we now have the power to motivate, to engage, and to create true loyalty – Loyalty 3.0.

Check out Bunchball’s Chief Product Officer Rajat Paharia as he explains the the next evolution of loyalty from GSummit SF 2013 .Be sure to also subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the latest videos from GSummit SF 2013 as they’re released. You can also download a copy of this presentation by downloading it here.

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Gilt’s New Loyalty Program Provides Exclusive Access to Customers

Kevin Shane04 mins

The gamification community in NYC came together last night for our first GSummitX event fully focused on loyalty marketing. To start things off, Gilt Groupe’s Jeff Bobula (Program Manager) delivered an educating talk on Gilt’s new loyalty program, Gilt Insider. Then, we all engaged in our Play for a Cause to help solve NYC’s composting issue.

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undiscovered territory autodesk

Case Study: Autodesk’s Great Tutorial Game to Convert Trial Users

Ivan Kuo02 mins

For software company Autodesk, the 30-day software trial period offered to customers is critical. Trials are a key part of the customer’s purchase decision and account for a significant percentage of the company’s website traffic. So when the 2013 version of the Autodesk(r) 3ds Max(r) software released, the company turned to digital marketing agency Resource to create a fresh and innovative way to increase trial conversion. Known for consumer research and innovation, Resource developed an online game called “Undiscovered Territory” that took customers on an entertaining and educational journey. The result was a significant increase in trial downloads and usage and the campaign earned a Forrester B2B Groundswell Award.

In this session from GSummit SF 2013, Dan Shust, VP of ResourceLAB at Resource and Dawn Wolfe, Sr. Manager of Integrated Marketing Programs at Autodesk will share insights on what made “Undiscovered Territory” such a hit and why gamification is a marketing approach they will continue to use in the future.

Be sure to also subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the latest videos from GSummit SF 2013 as they’re released. You can also download a copy of this presentation by downloading it here.

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zombie technology

The Zombie Technology Elimination Project: Gamifying The Destruction of Old Software

Mike Finney49 mins

Zombie Technologies are real. If you’re a software developer, a Zombie Technology (ZT) is that old technology you used long ago to create yesterday’s awesome solutions. Yesterday’s glory is a memory, yet the product lives on and it’s using a ZT.

I am leading an internal employee engagement enhancement project to make the conversion of old zombie technologies to new technologies more fun and more likely! Normally the conversion process is inherently behind the scenes and painful. In Mary Poppins style, a spoonful of zombies helps the work go down.

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jon radoff on the gamification revolution

Applying Game-Design Principles to Gamification with Jon Radoff

Ivan Kuo02 mins

The Gamification Revolution is the only live gamification webcast featuring Gabe Zichermann and fellow gamification experts every week. Today we’ll be looking at last week’s guest: Karl Kapp, Professor/Consultant at Bloomsburg University and Gamified Learning Veteran.

Be sure to catch our next episode this Thursday, September 5th at 1PM ET/1800 GMT, where we will feature Jeff Atwood, the esteemed man behind Coding Horror and co-founder of StackOverflow. Remember you can participate in the show if you sign-in and RSVP! Signing in will allow you to receive show reminders, ask questions, and even join Gabe and our guest for a live question.

Regardless of where you might stand on the gamification versus game-design debate, each side has many lessons to offer to the other when you consider differences in their design. This week we brought on Jon Radoff, CEO of DisruptorBeam, to give us his input on various facets of gamification design as a game-designer. We take deep looks into story narratives, feedback loop lengths, and many other game design theories as it relates to gamification.

Catch the full video below:



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intangible rewards

How to Incentivize Users with Non-Physical Rewards

Kevin Shane11 mins

A common feature of nearly all gamification implementations is the presence of a reward system. People are motivated by rewards but do they always have to come in the form of a cash prize or fancy gadget? Suchit Dash of ifeelgoods believes it doesn’t have to be.

Tangible Rewards come in many shapes and sizes, and though they may not scale super well, they can be transformative. See how you can use non-discount, tangible rewards to drive user loyalty and engagement in this fast-paced talk from rewards expert Suchit’s session at GSummit SF 2013.

Be sure to also subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the latest videos from GSummit SF 2013 as they’re released. You can also download a copy of Suchit’s presentation by downloading it here.

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gamification vendors

Choose a Gamification Vendor Based on Case Studies, Not Features

Carter Lusher25 mins

Nascent technology markets like gamification often see a proliferation of vendors. In part this is due the low barriers to entry because the capital needed to develop SaaS-based product is minimal because of cheap infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS) offerings as well as inexpensive development tools.

Startups are likely to target a particular niche within a nascent technology like gamification when developing their initial product because it is easier to identify likely early adopters to sell to and to create differentiation. Avoid this trap by being more picky with your selection process.

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gamification certification

The Guide to Our New Gamification Certification Levels of Mastery

Gabe Zichermann27 mins

The first gamification design course was offered in 2011 at the inaugural GSummit in SF. Since then, nearly 1000 people have taken live and online courses that are eligible for certification through the Engagement Alliance. Additionally, tens of thousands have attended on-and-offline gamification courses that don’t offer any commonly accepted accreditation.

After many years of experimenting with design frameworks and through extensive discussion and consultation with industry, I’m pleased to announce a new rubric for design certification. This new program is based on best practices, designed to maximize the value of your education and help you deliver optimal results for your employer and your career. Here are the new levels of certification, and what they mean:

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james gatto

What Are the Legal Issues with Gamification?

Ivan Kuo22 mins

Gamblification is a term that we have adopted to describe the intersection of social media and gambling. Although it may not seem like it at first, many Gamification systems walk a dangerous line, giving users the option to gamble with currency in their system. Given the complexity of the legal issues around this concept, it is not always easy to ensure that one does not cross the line. When is gambling in gamified systems ok, and when isn’t it? What are some of the risks you should consider, and what are the basic legal considerations and concerns affecting gamification in general? Join legal expert James Gatto for this fast-paced, crowd-favorite session on some of the key legal issues every gamified system operator needs to know in the video below.

Be sure to also subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the latest videos from GSummit SF 2013 as they’re released. You can also download a copy of Jim’s presentation by downloading it here.

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fear is a powerful motivator

Why Fear is a Powerful Motivator

Alicia Sanchez89 mins

Our community has long extolled the virtues of gamification for motivation. Motivation, however, has many facets. Fear, for example, is a powerful motivator. Could gamification be a heads up version of survival of the fittest? Today let’s play devil’s advocate and look at the dark side of gamification, even if just to better understand it. Because without dark there can be no light.

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Social Selling: How Gamification Supports Sales Productivity and Performance

Ivan Kuo02 mins

Needle CEO and founder, Morgan Lynch, has created a remote online customer sales chat platform that implements gamification to encourage remote workers to excel, using social influence to sell. He is an expert in using game mechanics in a non-game context to incentivize remote workers to achieve success by clearly defining benchmark performance goals – creating healthy competition as they compete for points toward free products and more. Needle’s system is proven to help brands boost their online sales and strengthen the online customer experience.

During this session, Morgan explains how using gamification with his untraditional online sales support platform has improved productivity and performance, while driving millenial workers in unique and unprecedented ways.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the latest videos from GSummit SF 2013 as they’re released. You can also download a copy of Morgan’s presentation by downloading it here.

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karl kapp

Karl Kapp on The Gamification of Instructional Design and Learning

Ivan Kuo32 mins

The Gamification Revolution is the only live gamification webcast featuring Gabe Zichermann and fellow gamification experts every week. Join us and have all of your gamification questions answered by these experts. Today we’ll be looking at last week’s guest: Karl Kapp, Professor/Consultant at Bloomsburg University and Gamified Learning Veteran.

Be sure to catch our next episode this Thursday, September 5th at 1PM ET/1800 GMT, where we will feature Jon Radoff, entrepreneur, author, and game/gamification designer.

Remember you can participate in the show if you sign-in and RSVP! Signing in will allow you to receive show reminders, ask questions, and even join Gabe and our guest for a live question.

In last week’s episode, Karl and Gabe went through many of the anxieties teachers have with games in the classrooms and how to address them. This is a great episode to watch if you’re an educator and are unsure about the right way to incorporate games into the classroom. Karl goes into some really top-notch insights about not only the games but the teachers themselves!

Check out the full interview in the video below:



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Join the Global Gamification Tour with GSummit Global

Gabe Zichermann14 mins

gsummit global 2013

GSummit Global to Arrive This Fall At:

NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, London, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, and Sydney 

As the gamification movement continues to grow, we’ve been looking for better ways to connect the global community.  Our big conference – GSummit – attracts a good number of global attendees to SF in June, but not everyone can afford to come to San Francisco. Also, we wanted to find a way to help the local community form while providing training and certification opportunities. So we’re trying something entirely new: GSummit Global – a virtual event series that brings together the best of live and virtual events into one affordable, accessible package. I’ll be traveling around the world this winter – and I’d like you to join me

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mobile ads

Case Study: The Effect of Presenting Ads as Rewards in Mobile Games

34 mins

The challenge of monetization is about more than dollars and cents – it is about continuously enhancing the user experience. Many developers steer clear of monetization solutions, fearing that they will turn off users and cause drops in retention and engagement rates.

However, when ads are presented as personalized they can have favorable implications for user experience and engagement. Below, I will share some data that demonstrates a positive correlation between the implementation of such ads and an increase in overall engagement.

In order to provide some context, PaeDae is a premium ad network that leverages a “reward ad spec” to help app developers monetize. One of the biggest contributors to our success is our commitment to ensuring that reward ads look native, and blend seamlessly into a user’s overall game or app experience.

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Get Certified in Gamification Design Online

Gabe Zichermann24 mins

I’ve been hard at work on a bunch of cool projects, and I wanted you to be among the first to know about my latest: you can now earn your first two levels of gamification certification online, at your own pace.

In partnership with Udemy, I’ve developed an all-new curriculum that teaches you the basics of gamification and engagement design in two parts:

1. Fundamentals of Gamification (LEVEL 1, BASIC)
2. Design Principles, Mechanics, Mastery & More (LEVEL 2, EXPERT)

Click on the two links above to check them out, watch a free lecture, and automatically take advantage of special, limited-time pricing for Gamification Co friends and partners.

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