Is gamification always beneficial? Exploring non-monotonic consumer motivation and progress framing in gamified loyalty programs

Gamification has been increasingly integrated into loyalty programs as a strategic alternative to conventional programs for enhancing consumer engagement and responses. This research investigates how consumer motivation evolves in gamified versus conventional loyalty programs across different stages of the progress journey. Drawing on self-determination theory and goal-as-reference theory, four experiments reveal distinct motivation patterns between gamified and conventional loyalty programs. The results show that gamified loyalty programs produce non-monotonic motivation patterns across the stages, in contrast to the incremental patterns observed in conventional loyalty programs (Study 1 and Study 3). This research also identifies specific gamification elements that effectively drive consumer responses (Study 2). These findings underscore fundamental differences in motivational dynamics between gamified and conventional loyalty programs, challenging prior assumptions and offering novel insights. Moreover, the study demonstrates how progress framing (to-go vs. to-date) functions as a strategic nudge that shapes intrinsic motivation in gamified loyalty programs, offering actionable guidance for optimizing their design and implementation (Study 4). This research advances theoretical understanding and delivers actionable implications for designing and managing effective gamified loyalty programs.