The Impact of Gamification on Marketing Strategy

Gamification, defined as the integration of game design elements into non-game contexts, has emerged as a transformative approach in marketing, capable of turning passive consumers into active participants. By incorporating mechanisms such as rewards, challenges, leaderboards, and progress tracking, gamification seeks to enhance consumer engagement, foster brand loyalty, and influence purchasing behavior. This study explores the theoretical foundations and practical applications of gamification in marketing, emphasizing its relevance in today’s highly competitive landscape, where capturing consumer attention has become increasingly difficult. Adopting a dual-perspective approach and employing JASP (Jeffrey's Amazing Statistics Program) platform for statistical computing on a diverse sample of marketing professionals, this research investigates the gap between expectations and outcomes in gamification implementation. It compares the perceptions of gamification adopters and planners regarding customer engagement, brand loyalty, and purchase intention. A comparative analysis between implementing and planning organizations was conducted to examine potential expectation–reality gaps in gamification outcomes, offering evidence-based insights and contributing to more informed strategic decision-making in marketing contexts.