Using gamification to build long-term success
Utilising Gamification for your brand at Christmas
Gamification is all around us in the consumer world, implemented to bring fun and joy to a shopping experience. Airports with ‘rate your experience’ interactive buttons, your favourite fast food chain with their real-life monopoly game, fitness apps such as Strava and Nike Run Club creating rewards for completing challenges. The list goes on.
In 2020, working with our client Hope Valley Saddlery, we partnered with 24 fantastic brands to create a unique, high-impact Christmas campaign that has since become a staple of seasonal marketing. The challenge was simple yet ambitious: to drive sales, increase traffic, and bring back a nostalgic Christmas experience—one that resonated with consumers and created buzz across multiple touchpoints.
The Concept
We worked with 24 brands to secure 200 units of a product at an unbeatable price. Each brand was assigned a specific day in December, and each offer launched at midnight on the designated day. With the clock ticking, the campaign created a sense of urgency that kept customers coming back every day. This was featured in both print and digital.
The twist? We didn’t announce the products ahead of time. Instead, we revealed which brand was featured on which day. This created excitement, anticipation, and a sense of exclusivity, keeping customers engaged throughout the month of December.
The Nostalgic Element
A key inspiration for the campaign came from the nostalgia of the classic Argos Christmas catalogue, which many of us remember as a Christmas tradition. We wanted to recreate that feeling of flipping through pages to find the perfect Christmas present, but with a modern twist. This led to the creation of a Christmas catalogue, both print and digital; that showcased the participating brands, along with copy and design that both aligned with brand values and created a festive
In addition to the catalogue, we sourced all the printing and managed the process end to end. The catalogue added a tactile, nostalgic experience for customers, while the digital format ensured we reached a wider audience and increased engagement.
The Results
Not only did the campaign produce huge incremental sales and demand; engagement and web traffic increase significantly through customers eagerly checking the site daily to be the first to know what the next incredible deal would be. This increased both retention through repeat customers and drove significant customer acquisition.
The longer-term Brand effect however, was arguably more important. Customers resonated strongly with the emotive catalogue content which created a memorable shopping experience. Particularly, the tangible nature of the print catalogue reinforced the nostalgic experience whilst the digital optimisation delivered the reach.
The Ongoing Success:
What started life as a short term seasonal campaign in 2020, has transformed into a cult campaign idea that is implemented in the equestrian sector to this day.
Key Takeaways:
- Nostalgia sells: The biggest names in advertising are continually tapping into our beloved past experiences around the Christmas period to forge deeper connections with customers
- Scarcity creates urgency: Limited-time offers and exclusive deals can drive significant sales and engagement.
- Multi-Channel Strategy: Combining print, digital, and experiential marketing makes for a more comprehensive and effective campaign.
- Long-Term Success: What begins as a one-time campaign can evolve into a successful long-term strategy that resonates with audiences year after year.
If you’re looking to take your brand campaigns to the next level, get in touch with us today to secure limited 2025 spaces.
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