Having completed his BCom - Marketing from the University of British Columbia, Brian is a serial entrepreneur who has incepted four companies - Aer Marketing, Followinformation.com, Rocketkick, and Kiip - till date.

For the last few years, gamification has been the buzzword among CIOs as it boosts employee engagement and business values. Gamification is now being used in the business world to better engage the users across various fields. In addition, gamification influences an organization's culture and helps to engage the workforce. To better understand how gamification is changing work-spaces and the way organizations use it, we had a conversation with Brian Wong, the founder & CEO of Kiip. Here are some of his insights on gamification and its impact on organizations.

Could you provide us an overview of the evolution of gamification?
During the years 2010 and 2011, gamification emerged as a known phenomenon and is ever since being used as a tool to drive customer engagement, build brand loyalty, and create impressive user experiences in several areas. Subsequently, the practical use of gamified applications has increased significantly as it is transforming the way businesses interact with consumers and optimize several processes. Today, companies understand that gamification is about enhancing user experiences and guiding them to an outcome that can supplement business value such as attaining more purchase, upgrades, customer loyalty, and data acquisition. With these benefits, organizations can continually prosper in the market and move away from the traditional business practices. This was one of the significant developments in gamification.

How does gamification impact user behavior?
Gamification helps to create an addictive user experience and subsequently gain positive outcomes in businesses. It brings several interactive elements to motivate the employees at work and encourages them to complete the last task present in their `to do list.' While doing tedious tasks, users receive some interactive animation, sparkles

flying out or badges on the screen. It elates them as they undergo unique experiences at work just like playing a game such as candy crush. The reason candy crush is so addictive is the presence of several interactive elements such as the sound when any of the gems appears, enticing the users to play more. In a nutshell, gamification is a concept which is getting more attention as it paves the way for employees to be more interactive and continually add value to the company.

What are some of the trends prevailing in the gamification space? One of the prominent reasons why gamification is being used in several enterprises is its ability to drive businesses and bolster production volume. The emergence of several front-end technologies and companies opting for digital solutions has further accelerated the usage of gamification. Firstly, mobile-first and mobile-only approaches are the key emerging trends in gamification. With a mobile-first approach, users can earn points and later redeem them for personal benefits. For example, in Starbucks, everything can be done through the mobile app, and there is no need to go to the web portal. Another thing worth mentioning is customers getting instant gratification with gamification. In many cases, delayed gratification makes customers purchase more because it brings forth unanticipated and tangible benefits to consumers. For instance, sometimes a user's booking surprisingly gets upgraded to SUV due to the delay in service. The last and most vital thing companies always seek is delivering unique customer experience. Today, there are a lot of apps which offer superior customer service and allow enterprises to render optimal gamification experience to its consumers along with a personalized experience.

Briefly discuss the challenges that a business faces while implementing gamification tools. If possible, explain the same with a use case.
Many brands offer disjointed user experience standards. Several times an app delivers a great, gamified experience whereas the web interface doesn't. This clearly indicates that there is a disparity in the decision making when it comes to managing the app and website of a brand. In such cases, there lies an opportunity to unify these different touch points and grow an organization as a brand. I think CMOs need to pay heed to this and change the way they create gamified experiences as a brand.

For instance, some users don't like video advertising as they find it time-consuming and uninteresting. But, if video advertising is made funny and rewarding, everyone would love to see it. Even in Kiip, we strive to make advertising more rewarding and enjoyable. We are providing mobile advertising that people will love.

What is the future of Gamification? What would be your word of advice for the CIOs across organizations?
I think it's important to keep an eye on technologies like blockchain and the significant impact they can have on gamification. In a nutshell, organizations adopting blockchain as part of their future roadmap can help them to limit frauds, improve security, and decrease costs.

For CIOs, it is straightforward. They need to understand that it is all about data. Gamification generates a humungous amount of data, which can help them keep an eye on customer habits and their feedbacks. Going forward, CIOs and CMOs need to work together to bring superior gamification practices for the users along with creating personalized experiences for them.