LATAM AIRLINES
LATAM faced the challenge of testing the effectiveness of the Octalysis Framework within a 30-day pilot project, aiming to outperform previous campaigns. Simultaneously, they ventured into a new communication approach, which deviated from their established brand guidelines. The ultimate goal was to increase conversion rates by 20% compared to their best previous gamified campaigns.
RESULTS
The campaign, designed based on the Octalysis Framework, achieved remarkable results:
- It garnered over 160,000 unique visits with an average session duration of approximately 3 minutes and 30 seconds, resulting in more than 8 million interactions.
- During the campaign month, the target group doubled its mile accumulation, marking a staggering 123% increase compared to historical averages.
- Credit card acquisitions through the gamified campaign increased by 153% compared to the control group, and engagement with redemption alternatives skyrocketed by 1407%.
- The redesign also led to significantly higher open rates and click-through rates compared to traditional campaigns, with some click-to-open rates rising by over 280%.
LATAM’s Gamification Success
LATAM’s gamified loyalty program, enriched with Octalysis insights, achieved unprecedented results, doubling or tripling key metrics and setting new standards for engagement and customer satisfaction.
DESIGN PROCESS
The design phase involved a meticulous analysis of LATAM’s business metrics and user/player motivational profiles.
This analysis translated demographic and psychographic data into concepts related to the 8 Core Drives of the Octalysis Framework to understand what motivated each audience type.
The design incorporated various gamification techniques, including Scarcity & Impatience, Unpredictability & Curiosity, and Social Influence & Relatedness, among others.
It introduced a narrative-driven treasure hunt in the Latin American jungles, enhancing user immersion.
The experience was divided into educational and mission sections, aligning with Desired Actions identified in the analysis phase.
Gradual implementation prioritized elements with the highest motivational power and least implementation effort.
This project demonstrated the effective application of gamification principles in a loyalty program, showcasing that well-designed gamification can significantly enhance user engagement and business metrics.
Personalization played a crucial role, adapting rewards and gamified mechanics to users’ motivational profiles.
The key takeaway is that gamification is not about random mechanics but identifying elements that effectively solve specific problems, synergizing them, and designing them to maximize their motivational potential for users.
lessons learned
Lesson #1: Gamification Effectiveness
This project served as a successful proof of concept for applying the Octalysis gamification approach to a large-scale loyalty program.
The campaign results confirmed that people respond positively to gamified mechanics, and even minor modifications to traditional incentive structures, and when designed correctly, can have a significant impact on user engagement and business metrics.
Lesson #2: Importance of Personalization
Personalizing the experience for different user types based on their motivational profiles represented by the 8 Core Drives of the Octalysis Framework was a key success factor.
Adapting rewards and gamified mechanics to users’ specific interests and behaviors maximized their participation and satisfaction.
Lesson #3: The Impact of Well-Designed Gamification
Gamification goes beyond adding random mechanics to an experience and hoping for good results.
Just like in other disciplines, it’s crucial to identify the elements that best address a specific problem, make them work in synergy, and ultimately design them to achieve their maximum motivational potential for users.
123%
Increase in mile accumulation
153%
Increase in credit card acquisitions
280%
Increase in email open rates and click-to-open