Gamification in new customer acquisition of a digital marketing service provider
Kaarlehto, Katriina (2020)
Kaarlehto, Katriina
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052413266
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020052413266
Tiivistelmä
Due to digitalization and globalization, the buying behavior has changed in the business-to-business context and customers are more independent, proactive and demanding than before. In the past, sellers were the main source of information. Now marketing is becoming a bigger part of b-to-b sales. Inbound marketing has changed marketing from ”push” to ”pull” – with focus on offering useful, interesting and entertaining contents for potential customers to find. In addition, gamification has rapidly become a trend in marketing and one of the most effective and efficient tools in online marketing for achieving customer interest, engagement and loyalty. It has been claimed, “The future of marketing is in games”.
This Master’s Thesis study was done for a start-up company offering digital marketing services and the development work was to design a Digital Marketing Buyer Profile Test that could be used in new customer acquisition of this Service Provider. The research aim in this study is to evaluate gamification in new customer acquisition when selling digital marketing services in the business-to-business context.
Designing the Digital Buyer Profile Test followed the Service Design process of the UK Design Council: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. The Service Design methods and tools were applied along the process. Desktop research, benchmarking, workshopping and prototyping were the main methods. The three focus areas of desktop research were based on the research questions and focus was on studying b-to-b sales process, customer and trends; digital marketing channels, planning and implementation; and gamification as a marketing asset.
A workshop to define the Service Provider’s business goals was organized and methods like Business Model Canvas, SWOT matrix and Journey map were used. The process of designing the Buyer Profile Test was iterative, proceeding from the paper prototype to the digital prototype, which was tested online with test persons representing potential customers. As an evaluation method, a Stickdorn’s framework of desirability for digital solutions was chosen. To measure and discuss the utility and pleasurability dimensions of desirability, a framework introduced by Laine to evaluate contents in b-to-b marketing was modified for this study.
Based on the theoretical and empirical finding in this study, three main research outcomes can be defined. First, this study confirms the claim that gamification can be applied to meet both the company’s and the customer’s goals and interests in the b-to-b context. Secondly, a gamifyed marketing solution can be an effective and engaging touchpoint at the very early phase of a buyer journey. Finally, this study confirms viewpoint that gamification meets very well the demands of the contemporary and rapidly changed b-to-b sales and marketing landscape.
This Master’s Thesis study was done for a start-up company offering digital marketing services and the development work was to design a Digital Marketing Buyer Profile Test that could be used in new customer acquisition of this Service Provider. The research aim in this study is to evaluate gamification in new customer acquisition when selling digital marketing services in the business-to-business context.
Designing the Digital Buyer Profile Test followed the Service Design process of the UK Design Council: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. The Service Design methods and tools were applied along the process. Desktop research, benchmarking, workshopping and prototyping were the main methods. The three focus areas of desktop research were based on the research questions and focus was on studying b-to-b sales process, customer and trends; digital marketing channels, planning and implementation; and gamification as a marketing asset.
A workshop to define the Service Provider’s business goals was organized and methods like Business Model Canvas, SWOT matrix and Journey map were used. The process of designing the Buyer Profile Test was iterative, proceeding from the paper prototype to the digital prototype, which was tested online with test persons representing potential customers. As an evaluation method, a Stickdorn’s framework of desirability for digital solutions was chosen. To measure and discuss the utility and pleasurability dimensions of desirability, a framework introduced by Laine to evaluate contents in b-to-b marketing was modified for this study.
Based on the theoretical and empirical finding in this study, three main research outcomes can be defined. First, this study confirms the claim that gamification can be applied to meet both the company’s and the customer’s goals and interests in the b-to-b context. Secondly, a gamifyed marketing solution can be an effective and engaging touchpoint at the very early phase of a buyer journey. Finally, this study confirms viewpoint that gamification meets very well the demands of the contemporary and rapidly changed b-to-b sales and marketing landscape.