Gamifying an e-book publishing enterprise

While attending the Gamification course given by Prof. Werbach at Coursera I had to make an assignment having to do with developing a Gamification system for an e-book publishing enterprise. The most difficult part was that I had to develop my proposal in 1.500 words!!! (I had lot to say but I was obliged to follow the rules of the game-course). 

So I provide you with my proposal and who knows? You may be benefited by it!!!

Here it is!!!

Electronic book market is dynamic, under a continuous change and also challenging for authors, publishers, distributors as well as consumers. Even if many users don’t own an e-reader device, research indicates that the e-book marketplace will exceed US$5 billion by 2016 (www.gigaom.com). As only 21% of American adults reported that they had read an e-book in the past year, GDP has to find out a way in order to be ready for any market scenario, to be flexible and to make the difference so as to become a leader in the e-book market globally. One of the most promising “tools” that GDP could use is gamification. Gartner predicts that over 70% of global 2000 organizations will have at least one gamified application by 2014 (http://www.gartner.com). In addition, constellation research believes that by 2013, more than 50 percent of all social business initiatives will include an enterprise gamification component (http://www.constellationrg.com/).

GDP’s “why” is to provide people worldwide with quality nonfiction publications so as to educate them in a more innovative way using advanced technology. Its “how” will be incorporated by techniques that tie business objectives with game design and its “what” will be virtual products/e-books that could reach its target group via a game-like, fun and interactive way. The main business objectives of GDP are to:

• Increase its earning profit by increasing its market share
• Establish its brand as an innovator electronic books publisher and distributor in the field of non-fiction publications and make people aware of it
• Make people master its products so as to make them well-known

These core business objectives could be achieved by trying altering users’ behaviors. And this could be accomplished by talking to their intrinsic motivators and also by setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely). GDP wants to change distribution and consumption of e-books by using a gamified system which will:

• Motivate people to change their consumer behavior in reading by making them willing to read more e-books which will result in gaining more customers, thus more consumption. Every month sales will be measured and an increase of 20% in sales in a time frame of six months will be considered as success.
• Utilize any kind of applications/platforms so as to make e-books easily accessible. Within two months GDP should be in a position of offering e-books in an open file format allowing books to be shared across devices not only e-readers but also other electronics such as mobile phones or/and personal computers. By apps and browser-centric consumption GDP will increase its market share by “educating” users to take advantage of this “openness” and have on demand access to their books anywhere at anytime.
• Identify new innovative ways of presenting book context and make it more appealing to the readers. In six months 3 e-books should be transformed into a gamified experience using photobook style enhanced with game mechanics.Increase registered users. Within six months the total registered users should be increased by 30%.
• Increase its site traffic on a daily basis. DAY/MAY ratio should be close to 50% within six months.
• Make users share more content with the community. Usage of the tools “Share This”, “AddThis”, “Tynt” will show social sharing and users’ engagement. An open-rate of at least 70% within six months period will be a success.
• Increase time spend on its website. An average of session length of 10 mins or more during the first two months will be considered as success. An increase of 20-30% per month of the volume of points and badges will be accepted as success.
• Identify the most influential users, its funs by finding the percentage of a brand’s fan base that interacts on average with posts over social media. An increase of fan base by 60% during the first three months will be a success. An average Engagement Rate of more than 0,20% for the first two months will be accepted.
• Wrestle with social responsibility, contributing to a more “green” society by decreasing paperback book consumption. By increasing e-book consumption among users by 20% within a time frame of six months in correlation with paperback consumption GDP will accomplish its goal.

All the above mentioned goals will be addressed mainly to two target groups which are:

• Business professionals which encountered of 50% of the total customers
• Students studying technical topics which encountered of 25 %.

Both of them are considered to have limited time, want to spend it effectively and find what they want just in time. Furthermore, their age could range from 18 to 60. According to the National Institute on Media and the Family, 35% of Americans rated video and computer games as the “the most fun entertainment activity” and this addiction is leading the way to a new age of marketing goods. Besides that, a large number of these adults grown up by playing games and using advanced technology. So they know games’ interface and rules and most of them see life as a game.

In order to talk to the intrinsic motivators a user-centered system will be developed which will make them follow a path in a trendy, innovative, meaningful and self-exploring way provided them with satisfaction, autonomy, mastery and above all fun. Except of identifying the players’ type model among target groups the challenge is to find out ways of creating emotions other than story cut-scenes.

The system will provide users with a journey using engagement loops as well as progression loops. This journey will not be a requirement. It will start by welcoming new users and it will ask them how to help them. Registered users will be addressed by their names so as to get a personalized experience and feel unique. In addition an “educated” video explaining the rules, features and the framework of the gamified experience will be provided. Rules, missions and hints will also be provided during the course of action so as to cope successfully with what is called “flow” and to match players’ skills with challenges. Onboarding of novice users will be realized by asking them to rate eg the content of e-books in order to build their taste profile. Later, they will be asked to explore others people reviews, rank them or/and add to them. Groups will be formed and by reaching a certain number of members, quests will come up such as reviewing certain number of e-books, find out where the parts of an e-book exist in a game interface and form that book or/and at the master level users will be awarded by forming an existing e-book into a gamified e-book. Intrinsic motivators such as exploration, competition and co-operation will evoke. These quests will be become harder according to their achievements. Another personal quest could be to discover other people around the world with the same kind of interests, interact with them and form special professional networks. Each time a new group will be formed a reward will expect each leader-user. As purchases increase for each user and as its followers increase, locked items eg. an e-book as gift will come up. Providing comments, reviews, by increasing social reading and posting at social media, points will be earned and virtual goods for instance discounts for their next purchase will evoke. Easter Eggs will be deployed so as users to get a discount or just for fun. Feedback will be provided at any stage of this journey: tracking their personal purchase history, how many points and rewards they gained, their rank at global leaderboards according to their social networking, rate of decreasing paperback consumption. In order the users to feel that they do something bigger than themselves for every 100 points they will earn, a donation will be given for educating small children around the world.

Game dynamics such as appointments, unlocks and rewards, and game mechanics such as player’s journey, levels, points, badges, leaderboards, missions and virtual goods will be addressed to achievers, explorers and socializes types of players. The system will deploy the four keys of fun (http://www.xeodesign.com) in order to evoke different kinds of emotions in every engagement loop during the journey. During their journey users will be faced with:

• Hard fun by providing them with meaningful challenges, strategies and puzzles inspiring their creativity and rewarding them with feedback on progress and success.
• Easy fun which will grab attention and awake players’ curiosity making their journey an exciting adventure.
• Altered states which generates emotions with perception, thought and behavior. Players feel excitement or relief from their thoughts and feelings.
• The people factor which creates opportunities for player competition, cooperation, performance and spectacle. Amusement, schadenfreude and naches will evoke, social interaction and personal recognition will emerge.

Emotions drive actions and more actions increase long-term engagement.

Dimitra Zervaki, EMBA, PMP

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