Study finds consumers must be relaxed for gamified ads to drive sales

Modern consumers frequently encounter video game elements in places that are not games. A coffee chain app might ask a user to collect stars to unlock a free beverage. An e-commerce platform might require a shopper to water a digital fruit tree to earn a discount code. This strategy is known as gamification. It involves integrating mechanics like points, leaderboards, and challenges into non-game scenarios. Companies use these tactics to increase engagement and sales.

Marketing professionals understand that gamification generally works. However, the psychological reasons behind its success remain a subject of academic inquiry. Researchers are also trying to identify specific situations where these strategies might fail. A new study published in Behavioral Sciences investigates these unknowns. The research team examined how game elements influence a customer’s intention to buy a product. They specifically looked at whether a sense of “brand coolness” drives this behavior and how a customer’s lack of time might disrupt the process.

Identifying the Mechanism and the Obstacle

Psychology of Selling

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Yingchuan Liao, a researcher at the College of Business Administration at Huaqiao University in China, led the investigation. Liao and the team identified a gap in existing marketing literature. Previous studies established that gamification makes shopping more fun. Yet, there was limited evidence explaining the specific psychological shift that turns that fun into a purchase. The researchers proposed that “perceived brand coolness” acts as the bridge.

Brand coolness is a quality that makes a product seem popular, unique, or high-status. The authors theorized that a well-designed game makes a brand appear innovative and energetic. This perception could lead the consumer to view the brand as “cool,” which in turn fuels the desire to purchase.

The team also introduced a potential barrier to this process. They looked at “time poverty.” This concept describes the feeling of having too many tasks and not enough time to complete them. Modern life often leaves consumers feeling rushed and pressured. The researchers hypothesized that if a consumer feels pressed for time, they might not enjoy the game. Consequently, the brand would not seem cool, and the marketing strategy would fail.

Understanding the Theoretical Basis

The study grounded its predictions in Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This framework suggests that human motivation relies on fulfilling basic psychological needs. These needs include competence, autonomy, and relatedness.

Game elements often satisfy these needs. Scoring points creates a sense of competence. Choosing how to play offers autonomy. Comparing scores on a leaderboard provides a sense of relatedness. The researchers argued that when a marketing campaign meets these needs, it creates a positive flow of emotions. This positive state is what potentially generates the perception of brand coolness.

Designing the Experiment

To test their theories, the researchers designed a controlled experiment. They recruited 184 participants for the study. The demographic profile was predominantly young and female. This selection aligned with the product chosen for the experiment, which was a lipstick from a fictional brand. Using a fictional brand ensured that participants did not have pre-existing opinions that could skew the data.

The team divided the participants into groups to compare different scenarios. They employed a 2-by-2 experimental design. This means they tested two different marketing approaches against two different states of time pressure.

The first variable was the marketing method. One group engaged with a gamified promotion. They played a digital turntable game to win a discount and saw a leaderboard of other players. The other group received a traditional non-gamified promotion. They were simply offered the same discount directly without any interactive play.

Manipulating Time Perception

The second variable was time poverty. The researchers needed to artificially induce a state of feeling rushed in half of the participants. They utilized a standard psychological tool known as the Trier Social Stress Test (SDT).

Participants in the “high time poverty” group faced a difficult cognitive task. They had to mentally subtract the number 18 from 2063 repeatedly within 60 seconds. This task creates high cognitive load and stress, simulating the feeling of being overwhelmed and short on time.

The “low time poverty” group performed a much simpler task. They calculated “1 plus 5” repeatedly over a period of 30 seconds. This task was designed to be easy and low-stress, leaving these participants feeling they had ample time and mental energy.

Measuring the Outcomes

After the participants completed their calculation tasks and viewed the marketing promotions, they answered a series of survey questions. The researchers used a 7-point scale to measure specific psychological responses.

They assessed “perceived brand coolness” by asking participants if the advertising made the brand seem unique, popular, or distinct. Statements included items such as, “Participating in advertising just now makes me look cool.”

They measured “purchase intention” by asking how likely the participant was to buy the lipstick or recommend it to others. The researchers also performed checks to ensure the math tasks successfully made the high-poverty group feel rushed and that the gamified group recognized the game elements.

Analyzing the Purchase Intention

The data analysis revealed a clear difference between the marketing methods. When looking at the entire pool of participants, those who played the turntable game showed a higher intention to buy the lipstick than those who received the standard discount. The analysis confirmed that the interactive element generally promoted a stronger desire to purchase.

The researchers then examined the psychological pathway. They looked for a link between the game and the perception of the brand. The statistics showed that the gamified experience led to higher ratings of brand coolness. The analysis then connected this coolness to the purchase decision. The data indicated a chain of events: the game increased the sense of brand coolness, and that heightened coolness led to a stronger intent to buy.

** The Impact of Time Poverty**

The results changed significantly when the researchers factored in time pressure. The study found that time poverty acted as a boundary condition. This means the effectiveness of the game depended heavily on how much time the user felt they had.

Participants in the “low time poverty” group—those who did the easy math task—responded positively to the game. For them, the gamification significantly boosted both perceived brand coolness and purchase intention. They had the mental bandwidth to enjoy the interaction.

In contrast, the participants in the “high time poverty” group reacted differently. The data showed that when people felt rushed and stressed, the game lost its power. For these individuals, the gamified marketing did not lead to a significant increase in purchase intention compared to the non-gamified offer. The stress of the situation seemingly blocked the positive feelings usually generated by play. The link between the game and the perception of coolness was severed.

Actionable Insights for Business

The study offers practical direction for companies investing in digital marketing. The findings suggest that gamification is not a universal solution. It is most effective when the target audience has the leisure time to engage with the content.

Marketers might need to consider the context in which a consumer encounters a game. If a customer is likely to be in a rush—such as during a quick commute or a busy workday—a complex game might not generate sales. In these high-stress moments, a direct promotion could be just as effective or preferable.

The authors also suggest that game design matters. To trigger the desire to buy, the game must do more than just offer points. It must enhance the brand’s image. The activity needs to feel “cool” to the consumer. This implies that aesthetics, novelty, and the quality of the interaction are vital for converting players into payers.

Future Directions

This investigation opens several new avenues for research. The study relied on a single product type: lipstick. Future studies could examine if the same results hold true for different categories, such as electronics, food, or household services.

The demographics of this study were also specific, consisting largely of young people. Older consumers might respond differently to gamification or experience time poverty in unique ways. The researchers also noted that future work could explore different types of game mechanics. It is possible that cooperative games or story-based games interact with time pressure differently than the competitive chance-based game used in this experiment.

Finally, the study highlights the need to understand the emotional state of the user. As digital environments become more cluttered, understanding when a user is too stressed to play becomes a valuable metric for advertisers. The research suggests that respecting a consumer’s time might be just as important as entertaining them.