RCN Radio es una de las principales audiencias de radio en Colombia: nuestro CEO, Taro Araya, fue entrevistado en vivo el domingo 17 de octubre del 2021 sobre su experiencia de trabajar y vivir fuera de Colombia. En esta breve entrevista de 5 minutos, menciona su paso viviendo en Jamaica, Bangladesh, Myanmar y Singapur, algunas de sus comidas favoritas y la diferencia cultural que ha experimentado. El director del programa, el Sr. Indalecio, lo ha llamado “Marco Polo” debido a su diversa exposición y viajes
Month: October 2021
What is Gamified Marketing?
The term refers to utilizing strategies and components from games within marketing campaigns and instruments. This process seeks to play on fundamental human impulses that seek challenge, accomplishment and rewards, in order to capitalize their attention, interest and hopefully, their purchasing power.
As early as 1896, S&H Green Stamps sold stamps to retailers who used them to reward loyal customers.The method has stood the test of time, and is probably one of the most effective ways to communicate creatively with potential customers. Unsurprisingly, marketers across industries are ever eager to use gamification-driven techniques to supercharge their campaigns and get the most out of their investments.
Benefits of Gamified Marketing
Why does Gamified Marketing work? It’s easy to answer this question once you look at the many advantages provided by this phenomenon.
· Makes things fun: The entire point of a game is to be fun. No game, in all of human history, was played just because it was informative or educational. We come to games for fun.
Gamified Marketing zeroes in on exactly this intent. Human brains are wired to seek out pleasure, fun and rewards – fundamental components of every game. Gamified Marketing makes marketers think of people as purveyors of games, and thus designs campaigns to be as enjoyable as possible.
Above all else, fun is marketable. By making a campaign enjoyable, it has a much higher likelihood of actually cutting through the noise and being seen and heard.
· Fosters engagement: Given that users actually have to participate with games, they require a level of engagement that cannot be matched by text or video. Furthermore, a game cannot just barge into a user’s feed and try to get their attention. Users actually have to actively play the game, which means that their engagement will be proactive and intentional.
When you gamify marketing campaigns, you interact with people who are focused and looking forward to the next stage in the game. Brands and businesses can display their messages throughout the game to already interested users. They don’t have to worry about people looking away, as they do during TV commercials or skipping intrusive ads before Youtube videos.
Gamification offers people a few moments of stimulating activity, an escape from an otherwise mundane day. By associating a brand with this good feeling, marketers can create positive product and brand awareness – the first step towards inciting an eventual purchase.
· Wide, multi-generational appeal: The mobile gaming industry alone made 77.2 billion U.S. dollars in revenue for 2020. There’s been no sign of any slowdown in 2021.
Additionally, 35.4% of gamers in the US are in their late 20s and early 30s. The 18-24 age group counts for 24.9% and the 35-44 age group counts for 23%. About 80% of smartphone users play games on their phone. 50% of them play for about 1-2 hours each day. That means people in key spending groups are deeply invested in games, which makes their attention highly desirable for marketing campaigns.
As mentioned before, when playing games, people are engaged in a way they are not when watching video or reading something. They have to constantly participate to progress, which means they are not zoning out. Consequently, brand messaging in games is more likely to be perceived positively and with more attention. This also stands true when you actually gamify the campaign itself.
· More effective data collection: In the digital realm, data is gold. The more marketers know about their target audience, the more they can appeal to their preferences in order to sell a product.
However, collecting data that actually matters can be difficult if users are not actually interested or engaged with whatever digital avenue they are handling. Therefore, by generating interest through gamification, marketers can inspire users to engage. By building positive brand association through gamification (ideally through some kind of reward), users are more likely to give accurate and useful data, which helps with better understanding them.
· Increased conversion rates: As users continue to interact with gamified elements of a brand, there is a much higher chance of clicking on or responding to a CTA. Traditional banner ads and other common marketing methods are known for being notoriously ignored. However, creative and interactive gamification strategies give users a real reason to take action. Needless to say, this will improve conversion rates.
Imagine that you are offering a 20% discount on a brand-new product if users take a quick 2-minute quiz about themselves. Users are far likelier to answer those questions, grab that discount and actually use it. So, not only will marketers get information about them, but will also end up making a sale.
To gamify campaigns is to empower them in unique ways. By using techniques that make games endlessly fun and addictively engaging, gamified marketing has the ability to supercharge it’s impact and gain results unimaginable by traditional marketing tactics.
5 Ways to Drive Engagement with Gamification
A recent study by Microsoft concluded that the human attention span has dropped to eight seconds – shrinking nearly 25% in just a few years. Keeping users engaged with any content has become quite a difficult task, especially when it comes to digital content. With smartphones or laptops in hand, people have so many options for entertainment or education, that they often switch between them in a matter of seconds.
To retain user attention, an increasing number of digital avenues (both apps and websites) have resorted to gamification.
Gamification leverages this instinct in the digital realm. By incorporating elements of online games to an app, developers stand a greater chance of keeping users interested and invested in the app at hand.
However, gamification must be implemented with a strategic approach. This article will discuss five game mechanisms that should be included into any gamification blueprint in order to improve engagement:
· Drive action: Motivate users to undertake some kind of action on a regular basis. If individuals actually have to take an action, they are more likely to pay attention to the content of an app. An effective example of driving action would be Facebook’s notifications on memories – older posts from the same dates in past years. By asking users to share older posts, the platform doesn’t just cause them to take action, but also formulate an emotional connection on the basis of nostalgia.
Another example would be how the language learning app Memrise notified users that they are on a rampage for a certain number of days (if they complete daily lessons for those days), and that they shouldn’t stop. This generates a sense of personal accomplishment, and motivates users to keep going back and making progress.
· Offer rewards with an element of uncertainty: The brain’s reward system is closely linked to dopamine. Neuroscientific studies suggest that a variable rewards system triggers dopamine secretion. Essentially, people’s attention and motivation is commanded not so much by the actual moment of reward/pleasure, but rather the expectation and anticipation of reward.
When you gamify an app, there are multiple ways to leverage this instinct. It could be something as simple as showing the number of unread messages waiting for a user. It could even be displaying how many people viewed a profile (people love to feel seen and heard).
Think of how headlines work these days. Successful articles, like the ones on BuzzFeed, offer a gist of the article with eye-catching, usually long headlines that capture attention and build anticipation. Some examples – This Girl Matched On Tinder With An Olympic Athlete And Here’s What Happened Nextor 19 Things Only Women Who Lift Weights Will Understand. It doesn’t give away the story, but it creates curiosity, and leads people to click and engage.
Essentially, don’t start with offering obvious rewards (badges, points, actual money/products). Try to tease and interest them first. Make them want it.
· Incentivize user participation: Coding app SoloLearn encourages users to participate by giving them points/XP for every lesson they complete and every exercise they correctly solve. These points can be used to unlock more practice exercises (important for complete beginners). Users can also participate in coding projects/contests where they can display their work, communicate with other coders, and get their names on a leaderboard based on their performance.These elements improve engagement by incentivizing users to keep crossing hurdles and progressing. It gives them a sense of accomplishment, which keeps them coming back to the app to get more of the same feeling.
· Use visual and sonic appeal: The Duolingo app uses cute animated pictures, videos, gifs and upbeat sounds to help users learn. When you gamify an app, literally make it a game. Engage the eyes, ears and curiosity of your user.
Above all, make it fun. With a million distractions at hand, no one will bother to interact with your content.
· Utilize existing trends: The Pink Nation app asks shoppers to pick products and decide if they “want” or “need” the clothes in each day’s showcase. Users have to swipe right or left, Tinder-style, to indicate their interest or lack thereof.
In this case, to gamify is to tap into an already popular user action. By now, swiping is a common occurrence in most people’s lives. Incorporating it into a new app brings familiarity and ease to the user journey. Much like Tinder, Pink Nation is easy and fun – essential elements of gamification.
The role of gamification to improve engagement is beyond question at this point. Utilise the ideas here to give your app a greater likelihood of keeping users hooked, interested and fascinated with what you have to offer.
Games have emerged, in recent years, as the dominant app category across all platforms. Their proliferation has led to massive revenue gains. A 2020 study valued the mobile gaming market to a staggering $98 Billion, with a forecast to reach $272 Billion in 2030. Companies have started to gamify their marketing campaigns – though many are still struggling to recognize the incredible potential of gamification marketing.
Large organizations like Starbucks, Deloitte, and Chipotle have already used gamification in their marketing to reap rich dividends. For example, Starbucks’ gamified rewards program has been a big hit among its customers, while Chipotle promoted its sustainability initiatives via interactive games. With platforms like Goama providing easy-to-use solutions to gamify any app, using the power of gaming to turbocharge your revenues is super easy.
Gamification of an app or gamification marketing has a few benefits that you as an organization should know and leverage, including:
- Incredibly High Engagement
People engagement is one of the biggest plus points of marketing gamification. Marketing via interactive games holds the attention of customers almost 3x more on average. In addition, the audiovisual nature of games is an essential factor in engagement and user retention.
- Fun Without Using Pop-up Ads
Gaming is fun, and fun is marketable. Interactive games that most gamified marketing techniques utilize focus on the fun quotient to attract potential customers. Gamification marketing also benefits from not being annoying like a traditional pop-up or banner adverts. These conventional methods have caused more adoption worldwide for Ad-Blockers, causing millions of dollars of lost revenue for organizations.
Fun, quality content in a gamification marketing campaign increases brand loyalty as well.
- Increased Quality of Content
Games are near the top when it comes to content. In a world where more users are young and tech-savvy, furnishing marketing via interactive games increases the quality of the advertised content. The audiovisual nature of games is an important factor in engagement and user retention.
- Platform Independence
Gamified marketing techniques can be applied irrespective of platforms. With users split evenly between mobile platforms like Android and iOS, similar gamification procedures can be replicated to reap dividends. Be it smart devices, laptops, or desktop machines, games are universally accessible. As a result, your marketing campaigns or strategies can be aligned to provide a seamless customer experience everywhere.
- Increased Affordability
Traditional marketing budgets can reach an astronomical value depending on the brand’s requirements and reach. However, the linear nature of these marketing techniques means that they are not easy to configure according to changing trends and organizational needs. Platforms like Goama can help keep the costs down by using a pay-what-you-need approach and granular levels of customizability. The cost-measuring controls are driven by analytics, presented in an easy to understand dashboard to clients.
- An Interactive Way to Tell the Story of Your Brand
Gamified marketing techniques help tell a brand’s story in a more effective way to its target audience. Interactive games require active participation from the users, making them feel like a part of the story being told. Brand storytelling benefits from gamification marketing’s ‘personal’ approach – and results in piquing more interest about a product or a brand.
- Greater Message Retention
From time to time, an organization may choose to create awareness across its user demography of its goals and commitments. Gamified marketing techniques help achieve a wider reach for these kinds of campaigns. Chipotle’s 2013 environmental marketing campaign is a prime example of this. Gamified marketing led the organization to receive worldwide acclaim for its sustainability message.
- Easier Collection of User Data for Analysis
Games that are run by gamified marketing techniques can collect user data via interactive surveys and other methods. User data can be analyzed to attract your products towards demographic needs further. What level of data is collected can be customized, and additional security measures to safeguard the data can be applied.
- Wider Market Reach
The multi-generational appeal of games has made marketing through them incredibly effective. According to a recent study, games account for 43% of smartphone usage, something that gamified marketing techniques employ to increase their market reach. A global phenomenon, gaming can help your products reach previously impenetrable markets.
- Community-Focused
Successful marketing techniques that employ a gamified approach often cultivate a sense of community across its users. Social, multiplayer games are among the top played gaming categories in the world today. In addition, human-focused design elements in gamified marketing campaigns promote social drive in consumers and better the community outlook of a brand.
Gamified marketing continues to be a hot trend. A 2019 study by Forbes showed that gamification marketing boosted the registration of new users by 600% every month. Nevertheless, many organizations are still in the dark about the positive results of gamifying their marketing. Intelligent, modern gamification platforms like Goama can help your business grow manifolds, gain new customers, and open newer horizons. Gaming has a universal reach – and teaching the power of games in marketing techniques can make the difference between your business and the competition.
If you want to find out more about how Goama can build a game for you to use as marketing or for branding check out our page here.
How To Gamify Your App
Here’s an interesting stat: in 2019, 79% of employees claimed that gamification of activities resulted in increased motivation and purpose in their workplace. In addition, studies have shown that gamification increases customer interactions and employee productivity. Gamification is most apparent in mobile apps – since smart devices have emerged as our preferred choice of content consumption. Gamified marketing is another hot trend – a 2019 study by Forbes shows it boosts newly registered users by 600% monthly.
All this hoopla around gamification, however, may confuse organizations trying to join the bandwagon. So, in this article, we’ll discuss ways to gamify your app and how new gamification platforms can help achieve that faster.
What is Gamification?
Gamification is the process of improving systems, services, organizations, and businesses to create gaming-like experiences to motivate and engage users. Organizations utilize gamification as a tool to encourage application participation, develop programs, and even reward employees. Gamification in marketing focuses on bringing in more customers by gamifying a non-gaming context and incentivizing specific actions.
Many experts believe that gamification has more to do with the analysis of the human psyche rather than technology or methods. Some have even linked it to theories like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: physiological, security or safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization. As a result, more organizations are saying yes to gamify their regular apps or super apps to increase traffic and engagement.
Several key industries have adopted some form of gamification in their products, with key ones being Learning and Healthcare. Gamification in the education market is poised to grow to a staggering $1.8 Billion by 2023, at an annual growth rate of 23% between 2018-23. Badges, leaderboards, and points-and-scores systems continue to increase in popularity in many market segments, including the Corporate sector.
How to Gamify Your App:
There are some rules that every organization should follow while gamifying their apps. Gamification rules often are more psychologically attuned rather than relying on technological standards.
- Setting Clear Objectives:
As with marketing an app, gamification requires proper reasons and a well thought-out plan behind it. Organizations must not be swayed by the increasing trend of gamifying applications or non-gaming contexts. Instead, they should focus on clear objectives that gamification should aim to fix.
Gamification techniques can be used for benefits like community-building, user acquisition, engagement, and retention. In addition, it can be used as a morale-boosting mechanism in employees. Gamified marketing has often been behind some of the most viral social loops in recent years. Defining a clear objective of why you want to integrate gaming dynamics into your app is the defining factor between the success and failure of that effort.
- Adding Value:
Gamifying your app should provide its users with tangible values. For example, the sense of accomplishment plays a vital role in customer engagement and retention. This is crucial in organizational apps intended for employees. For example, 72% of employees believe that gamification in the workplace inspires them to work harder, according to a 2018 Medium survey.
- Ingraining with the Ecosystem:
Incentives that a gamified app provides must be in line with its core intention. Deciding on what type of rewards your gamified app should provide as users pass milestones should be ingrained in the app ecosystem. That way, users get a seamless experience that connects between their actions and their rewards.
- Keep it Simple and Entertaining:
Gamifying your app need not be a daunting task. Often, simpler gaming apps engage more users. The entertainment quotient increases the retention potential for an app. Mixing these two key aspects results in a winning formula for the app. This translates into gamified marketing campaigns as well. My Starbucks Rewards is a good example of this.
- Build Sharing Loops:
A key rule while gamifying your app is to incentivize customer gratification. In this day and age of social media, sharing one’s achievements is key to getting brownie points. Social media looping is a popular way that superapps like Uber use to generate hype for their array of products.
For example, Cred, the credit card payment app, has easy sharing user-earned badges on various social media platforms.
- Quick Rewards:
Almost all good gamified apps and marketing campaigns break down the prizes milestone-wise. A grand reward at the end of the complete experience is a surefire way to attract users. But smaller, gradually increasing incentives at the completion of smaller milestones while leveling up through the app creates more user engagement.
Smaller rewards like new badges, unlocking additional levels or content and app currency payouts drive curiosity among users. Microsoft’s learning platform, MS Learn, provides users with points upon finishing a topic. These in-app currencies can then be used to unlock paywalled content.
Conclusion – Platforms that Can Help:
Superapps from tech giants like Facebook, Amazon & Google have all but skyrocketed the hype around gamification of apps. The projected total market value is projected to be $12 Billion by the end of 2021, causing more organizations to come on-board. While opting to gamify your app, consider the goals carefully and integrate it closely with your ecosystem. Gamification platforms like Goama can simplify the migration procedure. Goama offers various features, like lightweight integration, customizable UI and advanced security features to name a few. With instant gratification among the key behavioral patterns of this decade, gamifying your app may be the level-up your organization needs to tap into that potential.
Don’t forget to check out our video below for more info on what happens when you gamify your app!
Calvin Lee, the VP of Sales & Marketing of Goama along with Wazir Aziz, the Head of Marketing of Goama, presented in a webinar hosted by Common Ground Coworking Space to talk about “How To Transform Your App Into A Gamified Powerhouse”. In this webinar, you will get insights on what gamification really is and how to use gamification to increase user acquisition and retention, open up revenue streams for your app, and increase user engagement.
Goama recibe inversión y se asocia con el emprendedor Leonardo Wehe.
COLOMBIA, 11 de Octubre de 2021 – Goama se presentó exitosamente en Shark Tank Colombia asegurando una inversión del doble de la que estaba buscando y manteniendo la valuación.
Participar en este programa y lograr una inversión de un Shark ha sido un sueño hecho realidad para el equipo de Goama, los fondos serán utilizados para acelerar el crecimiento de Goama en la región.
Nicolas Koifman, vicepresidente para Latinoamérica y Fernando Uriel Cardona, Gerente de Desarrollo Comercial de Goama presentaron exitosamente la solución de Gamificación para aplicaciones, única en su tipo, durante el cuarto episodio de Shark Tank Colombia cuarta temporada. El episodio se emitió en Sony Channel Latinoamérica el Viernes 8 de Octubre a las 10pm Colombia (GMT -5).
El emprendedor Colombiano Taro Araya, quien ocupa el cargo de CEO en Goama dijo:
“Nadar con los Sharks ha sido una gran experiencia y estamos muy contentos de haber sobrevivido en el tanque. Estamos agradecidos de que un gran Tiburón como @LeoWehe se una a nuestra lista de inversores. Nos entusiasma a la vez continuar nuestra expansión en Latinoamérica, cubriendo los distintos países que forman esta increíble región.”
Goama utilizará los fondos específicamente para acelerar el crecimiento en latinoamérica, desarrollando los canales de distribución y expandiendo el equipo humano.
El Tiburón Argentino Leonardo Wehe dijo:
“Siguiendo durante años a la industria del gaming muy de cerca, reconocí instantáneamente la calidad de desarrollo de Goama y el modelo de negocio, único en su tipo, que conecta millones de usuarios altamente fidelizados de super apps, con productos de consumo masivo.
Estoy entusiasmado por unirme activamente a la familia Goama y el increíble (y desafiante!) camino que queda por delante.”
Nicolas Koifman Vicepresidente para Latinoamérica comentó:
“La participación en este gran Show fue muy desafiante y divertida a la vez.
Logramos que los sharks vivan la misma experiencia que un usuario vive en las aplicaciones a las que les prestamos nuestros servicios de gamificación.
A su vez presentamos un juego personalizado de Shark Tank mostrando como una marca puede generar engagement a través de activaciones en las audiencias de dichas Apps.
Estamos muy contentos de contar con la experiencia de Leo Wehe en el mercado Latinoamericano, especialmente en este gran momento de expansión que está viviendo nuestra compañía en la región, en la cual ya tenemos presencia en más de diez países.“
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Sobre Shark Tank
Shark Tank es un reality show aclamado por el público, ganador de varios premios Emmy que ha fortalecido el espíritu empresarial en América.
En Shark Tank Colombia, cinco experimentados inversionistas afinarán la mira para reconocer los mejores emprendimientos y multiplicar sus ganancias. En este tanque todo puede pasar, y los emprendedores deben estar preparados para demostrar el valor de sus empresas, pues los tiburones no morderán a la primera y sólo invertirán en los proyectos con mayor potencial. En esta cuarta temporada veremos de regreso a los queridos y experimentados tiburones Mauricio Hoyos y Ricardo Leyva, quienes han estado en el tanque desde el comienzo, y a Andrea Arnau, Alejandra Torres, Leonardo Wehe y Sammy Bessudo. Además, el tanque recibe a dos nuevos tiburones: Hanoi Morrillo y Miguel Caballero.
Sobre Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) es uno de los principales proveedores de contenido de la industria de la televisión; produce, distribuye y transmite programación en todo el mundo en todos los géneros y para todas las plataformas. Además de administrar una de las bibliotecas más grandes de la industria de películas, programas de televisión y formatos galardonados, SPT es el hogar de un próspero negocio de contenido global que opera una sólida cartera de empresas de producción de propiedad propia y empresas conjuntas en EE. UU., Europa, América Latina y Asia Pacífico, así como canales lineales y digitales de todo el mundo. SPT es una empresa de Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Sobre Goama Pte. Ltd.
Goama, líder en gamificación, es referente global en innovación digital e engagement de usuarios.
Su solución llave en mano ofrece una plataforma plug and play que crea experiencias gamificadas únicas que permiten construir, en cualquier tipo de aplicación, comunidades de usuarios altamente fidelizados. Goama trabaja con Apps y marcas líderes en más de 24 países, ayudándolos a impulsar la participación de los usuarios, la frecuencia de visita, generar nuevas fuentes de ingresos y adquirir nuevos usuarios.
A su vez, Goama extiende su propuesta de valor a marcas, a través de juegos personalizados que pueden ser publicados en su plataforma de torneos, dentro de las aplicaciones partners en las que tiene presencia para generar visibilidad y engagement de marca, fácilmente escalable regionalmente.
Esto crea un cambio de paradigma en el mundo de la publicidad, brindando más oportunidades para que marcas creen experiencias únicas, de gran valor, para sus audiencias en sus canales propios o a través de la red de aplicaciones partners de Goama.
Para más información, contactar:
Mr. Nicolas Koifman
Vicepresidente para Latinoamérica
Email: nicolas.koifman@goama.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaskoifman
Website: www.goama.com
Mr. Wazir, Tengku
Jefe de Marketing
Email: tengku.wazir@goama.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tengkuwazir
Website: www.goama.com
Goama receives investment money and partnership with entrepreneur Leonardo Wehe
COLOMBIA, 12 October 2021 Goama successfully pitched to Sony’s Shark Tank Colombia securing an investment of twice what it was seeking and maintaining the valuation.
To participate in the show and secure a Shark’s investment is a dream come true for the Goama team, and the funds will be used to further accelerate Goama’s growth in the region .
Nicolas Koifman, VP of Latin America and Fernando Cardona, Business Development Manager for Goama succeeded in pitching the company’s gamification solution during the 4th episode of Shark Tank Colombia’s 4th season. The episode aired on Friday October 8th at 10pm Colombia.(GMT-5)
Colombian entrepreneur Taro Araya, who also acts as CEO of Goama said :
“Swimming with the Sharks has been a great experience and we are very happy that we have survived the tank. We are grateful to have a great Shark such as @Leo Wehe to join our investor list and looking forward to continuing our expansion in Latam while enjoying the fun ride. We are looking forward to continuing our growth in LATAM as we cover the countries that make up this awesome region. “
Goama will use the funding specifically to fast track our efforts in Latin America and ramp up our distribution channels and teams.
Argentinean Shark Leonardo Wehe, Shark Tank said :
“Closely following the gaming industry for many years, I realized instantly the quality of Goama’s development and the unique business approach to connect millions of engaged super app users with staple consumer products. This Industry is a crazy thing. The market they are in is so big and they are billing so much money and the companies are valuing them at such a high value. Rarely in Shark Tank does a company appear that has the potential to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, so quickly.
Looking forward to actively joining the Goama family and the incredible (and challenging!) journey that lies ahead.”
Nicolas Koifman VP of Latin America commented:
“Our participation in this great show has been very challenging but also fun and rewarding. We succeeded in making the sharks experience Goama’s gamified platform that our current partner apps are already using. We also created a customized game just for Shark Tank and presented it on the show and from there it was clear to see how a brand can generate even more audience engagement through such activations.
Having someone like Leo Wehe be a part of Goama is key for us in the Latin American market. This is especially important as we plan to expand further in the Latin American market.“
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About Shark Tank
“Shark Tank” is a critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy Award-winning reality show that has reinvigorated entrepreneurship in America. The Sharks – tough, self-made, multi-millionaire and billionaire tycoons – have searched nine seasons to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer. The Sharks are billionaire Mark Cuban, owner and chairman of AXS TV and outspoken owner of the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks; real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran; “Queen of QVC” Lori Greiner; technology innovator Robert Herjavec; fashion and branding expert Daymond John; and venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary.
About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing and distributing programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to managing one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, SPT is home to a thriving global production business operating 22 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 12 countries around the world. Sony Pictures Television is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company.
About Goama Pte. Ltd.
Goama is the leader in gamification, setting the benchmark for digital innovation and user engagement. Its turnkey solution offers a plug and play platform that creates unparalleled gamified experiences that enable business partners to build sustainable and engaged online communities. Goama has worked with leading super apps and brands in more than 24 countries to help them drive user engagement, increase revenue streams, and acquire new users.
Goama’s offering extends to brands with customized games on its tournament platform to drive lasting brand engagement that is easily scaled across digital mediums. This creates a paradigm shift in advertising, providing more opportunities for brands to build meaningful experiences for their audiences on their channels or through Goama’s partners.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Nicolas Koifman
VP for Latam
Email: nicolas.koifman@goama.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaskoifman
Website: www.goama.com
Mr. Wazir, Tengku
Head of Marketing
Email: tengku.wazir@goama.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tengkuwazir
Website: www.goama.com
The Rise of Esports as Casual Games
The world of esports has expanded massively over the last decade. Once considered a niche among gamers, esports now has an estimated revenue of $1,084 million in 2021, a staggering 14.5% increase over last year. Esports, or electronic sports, has emerged as a contender to traditional sport leagues like the NFL or Major League Baseball. Industry experts even believe the viewership of esports will likely surpass these traditional offerings pretty soon.
What are Esports?
In short, electronic Sports, or esports, is an umbrella term covering any competitive games or gaming events. This can be anything from casual games to mobile gaming to games on PC and Consoles. For example, Newzoo, the premier source for gaming analytics worldwide, defines esports as “professional or semi-professional competitive gaming in an organized format (tournament or league) with a specific goal/prize, such as winning a championship title or prize money).”
Esports is the most-watched collective phenomenon worldwide, with a viewing audience predicted to be at 728 million. Believe it or not, the history of esports started with casual games back in 1980. The Atari 2600 Space Invaders Championship in New York City had over 10,000 participants. The competition, centered around the Atari classic Space Invaders, was won by Rebecca Hieneman. This was followed by the 1982-83 CBS game show Starcade, where participants faced each other in arcade games. The second pilot of this show had a then-young Alex Trebek playing the host.
In contrast, the largest gaming event in 2021 had over 5.41 million viewers, and the largest esports championship pool was an eye-watering $34.3 million.
What is a “Casual Game?”
A casual game is, by definition, something that one plays in leisure and does not have a steep learning curve. Puzzles, Trivia, Scrabble, Arcade, Card-based games are some excellent examples. Over the past few years, mobile gaming has dominated the casual games scene, and understandably so. With smartphones being our primary content consumption devices, games like Candy Crush, Temple Run, Angry Birds and Subway Surfer have gathered a worldwide cult following. This increased player base has sometimes caused controversies as well, like the recent Pokemon Go debacle. In 2021, 2.6 billion mobile gamers exist, most of them into casual games. Often tagged as means to pass the time rather than a means to compete, these casual games are now the most played game type across all age groups, according to Limelight’s 2020 report.
A casual game has a few aces up its sleeve. First, it should not be too difficult to learn. Second, it should provide enough incentives for a novice, casual player to be invested to continue playing it. Third, it should not deter players by excessive ads or paywalls. The best casual games do this by creating game mechanics that are easy to learn but hard to master. The experience, coupled with this hook, creates a comfortable yet engaging space for casual gamers and brings them back for more.
How Did the Worlds of Casual Gaming and Esports Collide?
An increase in accessibility via mobile devices has skyrocketed casual gaming. It has also broadened the term ‘gamer’ – usually meant for hardcore, more involved participants, ‘Casual gamers’, people who do not identify as normal gamers, are on the rise. A recent survey in 2019 found two-thirds of Americans fell under this category. Yet, the study also revealed, these people were playing mobile, casual games 4 times a week on average. This placed them right in the vicinity of their more traditional fraternity.
Over the past year and a half, due to strict lockdown mandates, the world of gaming has almost exploded, and casual gaming has moved up a notch with it. Casual, single-player games have topped the download charts in all mobile platforms. Candy Crush is a prime example of this – a 2019 report by Niko put it as the top choice of casual, female gamers. The report also highlighted that more than 60% of female casual gamers spent at least seven hours per week playing. Google for Games’ insightful, vibrant 2021 global insights report states that 1 in 4 casual gamers spent more money in gaming during the pandemic. One does not need more reasons to understand why these games have seen billions of downloads.
This unique proliferation pattern has started turning the tide for casual gaming towards being a viable esports contender.
What Does the Future Have in Store for Us?
Reports show that over the past year, people have increasingly preferred playing games over streaming shows or watching movies over the past year. Given these statistics, it is highly likely that casual games will be hosted in esports tournaments in the near future. Casual esports engagement engines like Goama have already taken a step in that direction. Goama’s proven gamification models, presence in leading apps worldwide, and a laundry-list of veteran clientele, bringing esports experience for an app is just minutes away.
“Casual games” are not so casual anymore. So, next time you tune in to a live, big gaming event, don’t be surprised if you see competitors playing Temple Run.
Goama saldrá al aire en Shark Tank!
COLOMBIA, 07 Octubre de 2021 — Goama se presentará en Shark Tank en la actual temporada del show. Como se anunció, Goama saldrá al aire en la serie de Sony, Shark Tank Colombia este Viernes 8 de Octubre de 2021. Shark Tank, el aclamado reality show ganador de varios premios Emmy, le dará la oportunidad a Goama de presentarse frente a un panel de ejecutivos e inversionistas de primer nivel para conseguir inversiones clave en la región.
Nicolas Koifman, vicepresidente para Latinoamérica y Fernando Cardona, Gerente Desarrollo Comercial de Goama presentarán la plataforma de Gamificación para aplicaciones, única en su tipo, durante el cuarto episodio de Shark Tank Colombia cuarta temporada. El episodio se emitirá este Viernes 8 de Octubre a las 10pm Colombia (GMT -5).
El emprendedor Colombiano Taro Araya, quien ocupa el cargo de CEO en Goama dijo:
“Goama comenzó como un equipo multidisciplinario de 6 personas, cada una de diferentes nacionalidades, unidas por una pasión, crear conexiones significativas a través de los juegos.
La integración de esta plataforma como una solución plug-and-play en aplicaciones de todo tipo se convirtió en nuestra gran propuesta de valor, la cual nos permitió llegar a aplicaciones líderes en más de 18 países en menos de un año. Seguimos creciendo aumentando nuestra presencia tanto en Asia Pacifico como en America.”
Estamos felices de poder nadar en el tanque y esperamos poder trabajar con algunos de los tiburones mientras continuamos nuestra expansión por Latinoamérica.
Nicolas Koifman Vicepresidente para Latinoamérica comentó:
“ Tener la oportunidad de presentar nuestra plataforma de Gamificación a algunos de los Tiburones más destacados de América Latina y que esto sea transmitido a nivel regional es surrealista.
He sido un fanatico de este show por años y aun no puedo creer haber participado en el mismo. Estoy muy ansioso por vernos en él.
Sumar a un Tiburón a nuestra lista de inversores y que este nos comparta sus conocimientos sobre el mercado Latinoamericano sería muy valioso para nuestra continua expansión en la región. “
Las aplicaciones en el mundo compiten más y más por el engagement de usuarios, Goama potencia a estas apps a través de la creación de comunidades de usuarios altamente conectados y fidelizados por medio de su plataforma de gamificación.
La Gamificación no es solo una herramienta de diferenciación para las aplicaciones sino también un camino para generar mayor cantidad de descargas por parte de los usuarios, potenciar el engagement y su tiempo de permanencia dentro de la app. A su vez la solución que Goama ofrece tiene la capacidad de generar nuevas fuentes de ingresos y monetización de estas audiencias.
¡Sintoniza Shark Tank Colombia este Viernes, 8 de Octubre 10pm Colombia, para ver a Goama enfrentarse con los Tiburones!
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Sobre Shark Tank
Shark Tank es un reality show aclamado por el público, ganador de varios premios Emmy que ha fortalecido el espíritu empresarial en América.
En Shark Tank Colombia, cinco experimentados inversionistas afinarán la mira para reconocer los mejores emprendimientos y multiplicar sus ganancias. En este tanque todo puede pasar, y los emprendedores deben estar preparados para demostrar el valor de sus empresas, pues los tiburones no morderán a la primera y sólo invertirán en los proyectos con mayor potencial. En esta cuarta temporada veremos de regreso a los queridos y experimentados tiburones Mauricio Hoyos y Ricardo Leyva, quienes han estado en el tanque desde el comienzo, y a Andrea Arnau, Alejandra Torres, Leonardo Wehe y Sammy Bessudo. Además, el tanque recibe a dos nuevos tiburones: Hanoi Morrillo y Miguel Caballero.
Sobre Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) es uno de los principales proveedores de contenido de la industria de la televisión; produce, distribuye y transmite programación en todo el mundo en todos los géneros y para todas las plataformas. Además de administrar una de las bibliotecas más grandes de la industria de películas, programas de televisión y formatos galardonados, SPT es el hogar de un próspero negocio de contenido global que opera una sólida cartera de empresas de producción de propiedad propia y empresas conjuntas en EE. UU., Europa, América Latina y Asia Pacífico, así como canales lineales y digitales de todo el mundo. SPT es una empresa de Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Sobre Goama Pte. Ltd.
Goama, líder en gamificación, es referente global en innovación digital e engagement de usuarios.
Su solución llave en mano ofrece una plataforma plug and play que crea experiencias gamificadas únicas que permiten construir, en cualquier tipo de aplicación, comunidades de usuarios altamente fidelizados. Goama trabaja con Apps y marcas líderes en más de 24 países, ayudándolos a impulsar la participación de los usuarios, la frecuencia de visita, generar nuevas fuentes de ingresos y adquirir nuevos usuarios.
A su vez, Goama extiende su propuesta de valor a marcas, a través de juegos personalizados que pueden ser publicados en su plataforma de torneos, dentro de las aplicaciones partners en las que tiene presencia para generar visibilidad y engagement de marca, fácilmente escalable regionalmente.
Esto crea un cambio de paradigma en el mundo de la publicidad, brindando más oportunidades para que marcas creen experiencias únicas, de gran valor, para sus audiencias en sus canales propios o a través de la red de aplicaciones partners de Goama.
Para más información, contactar:
Mr. Nicolas Koifman
Vicepresidente para Latinoamérica
Email: nicolas.koifman@goama.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaskoifman
Website: www.goama.com
Mr. Wazir, Tengku
Jefe de Marketing
Email: tengku.wazir@goama.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tengkuwazir
Website: www.goama.com