From theory to practice, how did Tmall use gamification in 2017 Double 11?

The curtain of Tmall Double 11 in 2017 has been opened grandly. WeChat has started to receive screenshots of QR codes of red envelopes from friends inviting them to light up the torch. Taobao links inviting friends to join the team and share the cash have appeared in the circle of friends . The surrounding online shopaholics have set alarms to participate in the flash sales of hot products. Many people have been involved in this Double 11 carnival game . Today, I will try to analyze the gameplay of the 2017 Tmall Double 11 event from the perspective of gamification, using the Octagonal Behavior Analysis Method in "Gamification in Action" .

Before that, we need to understand two concepts first - gamification and octagonal behavior analysis method.

01 Theory

Gamification

What is Gamification? Wikipedia defines it as the use of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game scenarios. This term has a long history in the field of experience design. When it comes to gamification, most people think of PBL (points, medals, and leaderboards ). Incentive systems based on PBL can be seen everywhere in games, and they play an obvious role in attracting users. But PBL is based on the perspective of game elements, and designers are beginning to find that PBL is far from enough. Truly excellent gamification starts with stimulating the core driving forces of users, not with game elements.

Octagonal Behavioral Analysis

Based on years of research, behavioral expert Yu-kai Chou found that the reasons why people play games are basically inseparable from eight core driving forces, which is "Octalysis":

1. Epic significance and sense of mission

Players believe that what they do is more important than the thing itself, or that it is a mission given to them by God. The phrase “You are the only warrior who can save the world” that is often seen in games, and Apple’s famous marketing campaigns “1984” and “Thinking Different” are all uses of this core driving force.

2. Progress and sense of achievement

This is one of the most familiar driving forces and is also the driving force used by the PBL mechanism. Here, "challenge" is particularly important. Without challenge, achievements, medals or trophies will become meaningless.

3. Create empowerment and feedback

This drive allows players to immerse themselves in the creative process, constantly discovering new things and trying different combinations. People not only need ways to express their creativity, but also to see the results of their creativity, get feedback and make timely adjustments. This is what makes LEGO play and art fun.

4. Ownership and Possession

This drive refers to the fact that users feel they own or control something and are motivated by it. This drive is the main source of human desire to accumulate wealth and is also the main driving force for players to accumulate virtual currency.

5. Social influence and relevance

Social influence and relatedness is the sum of all the social factors that motivate people, including mentoring, social proof, social feedback, partnerships, and even competition and jealousy. This drive also reflects why we are born with a preference for people, places or events that are related to ourselves. For example, if a product reminds you of your childhood, you can't help but spend money on it.

6. Scarcity and Desire

People want something simply because it is rare or not immediately available. Many games will design "mission mechanisms" or "torture breaks" so that players cannot get rewards immediately, which will motivate them to return to the product as soon as they have the chance. Facebook also took advantage of this drive when it launched: it was initially open only to Harvard students, then expanded to a few prestigious schools, and finally to all universities. When Facebook was opened to everyone, many people rushed to join. Do you remember how rare the Diligence Blessing was during Alipay ’s Five Blessings campaign?

7. Unknown and Curiosity

People are always attracted because they don't know what will happen next. This is the driving force of unknown and curiosity. This is the main driving force behind gambling, watching movies or reading detective novels.

8. Loss and Escape

This core driving force should not be difficult to understand, we all don’t want bad things to happen. To put it nicely, I don’t want all my previous efforts to go to waste. To put it bluntly, I don’t want to admit that my efforts have been in vain . A disappearing opportunity is also a valid application of this , making people feel that if they don't act now, they will lose this opportunity forever.

The eight core driving forces have different characteristics. Some tend to be externally motivated, while others focus on internal motivation; some tend to be positive energy, while others make users feel bad. Therefore, the author carefully arranged the positions of these driving forces in the octagon according to their characteristics.

According to the different characteristics of the eight driving forces, they can be divided into: left brain driving force VS right brain driving force, white hat gamification VS black hat gamification.

Left Brain vs. Right Brain

It can be understood as extrinsic motivation vs intrinsic motivation. Left-brain core drives tend to rely on extrinsic motivation , where you are motivated because you want to achieve something, such as a goal or an object. The core driving force of the right brain is mostly intrinsic motivation , such as using creativity and spending time with friends. It does not require any goals or rewards; the act itself is a reward.

In operations , we tend to become addicted to external motivations. These measures, such as red envelopes and vouchers, can help improve KPIs in the short term. Giving users direct benefits can lead to increased orders. But this approach is dangerous, as many studies have shown that extrinsic motivation can undermine intrinsic motivation. Once external motivation stops being provided in operational activities, user loss may occur.

White Hat Gamification vs Black Hat Gamification

One thing to note about the Octagon Behavior Analysis Method is that the core drivers at the top of the octagon are very positive motivations, while the motivations at the bottom are more negative. Yu-kai Chou calls the upper core driver white hat gamification and the lower core driver black hat gamification.

02 Application

Okay, let’s use the above theory to analyze the driving forces used in the 2017 Tmall Double 11 Carnival Game that make you and me unable to stop.

The above is the activity rhythm chart of Tmall in 2017, with 7 major sections and 14 branches. It can be seen that Tmall’s gameplay this year is somewhat different from previous years. In addition to continuing to make extreme use of loss-making motives (blindly emphasizing discounts and ultra-low prices), it has increased the application of social and unknown motives (team tasks, dividing up cash). The Octagonal Behavior Analysis Framework is as follows:

The specific interpretation is as follows:

1. Mission: After several years of market education, Double 11.11 is no longer just a brand trademark, but also a national story. Every online shopaholic is portrayed as a contributor to the empire's cause, and is a witness and transmitter of this annual party and legendary story. The torch that enters Taobao or Tmall marks the beginning of the 2017 Double 11 story.

2. Authorization : I don’t know if you have discovered that for the offline part, this year we learned the Pokemon gameplay that was popular all over the world some time ago. Combined with AI , we mobilized everyone to participate in the cat-catching action, trying to provide another more challenging and fun way to get vouchers.

3. Social : Inviting friends to light up the torch through red envelopes and forming teams to complete team tasks are all aimed at utilizing the social driving force of users. In the team red envelope, by setting team tasks and inviting super members, users can work hard to have more naughty points. In essence, it is an application with two major driving forces: social interaction and having a sense of belonging.

4. Unknown : Light up the red envelopes to share 250 million in cash. The mysterious treasure box gameplay has always attracted many people . This technique takes advantage of the user's unknown and curious mentality, and wonders how much money they will get in the end.

5. Loss : The user mentality that e-commerce companies are accustomed to is exploited to the extreme during Double 11. Deposit pre-sales, brand flash sales, and shopping allowances are all tempting your wallet. The Tmall Genie smart speaker requires an advance deposit and costs 99 yuan after receiving the coupon. It received 300,000 orders in 5 days, becoming the first rush for Double 11. This shows how much users fear losses. Brands’ limited-time sales make shoppers feel that if they don’t act immediately, they will lose the opportunity forever .

6. Scarcity : Super membership privileges were introduced during Double 11 this year. In team formation and prepayment of deposits, we can already see that super members enjoy more rights and interests. By restricting non-members, a sense of scarcity is created for super members, prompting them to pay for this noble feeling .

7. Possession : Combined with other driving forces, it amplifies the user's desire for possession from all directions and angles. Users must work hard to scan codes , form teams, catch cats, use red envelopes to buy, buy, buy, buy, and chop, and have everything they want at a super low price.

8. Achievements : Super Taobao membership, Black Gold Team, Double 11 bill rankings, tell you the glittering achievements!

The above is an analysis of this year’s Tmall Double 11 event based on gamification thinking. It can be seen that the Double 11 event has gradually evolved from a point in the past to a line, and this year it has formed a surface, making full use of user driving force. So, what kind of results do you think Tmall can deliver on Double 11 this year?