Spikes Asia 2014: "Work is a game so badly designed that you have to pay people to play it" - PHD's Mike Cooper

Speaking on Day Three of Spikes Asia 2014, Mike Cooper, worldwide CEO, PHD, and Chris Stephenson, head of strategy, PHD Australia, explained why and how ‘The Future of Work is Play’.

First up, the speakers made the case for gaming and its offtake across the world. 

Cooper said, “There was a new launch in the entertainment space (on 9 September). It was bigger in terms of investments than a movie like James Bond. It wasn’t a movie, but it was a game – Destiny. 500 million dollars we invested in the making of the game, all of which was earned back  through sales, on the day the game launched.”

He added, “This shows there’s a massive potential for gamification for brands and businesses. One billion people across the world are engaged with games on a weekly basis. Gamers are spread evenly across the world. So, it’s engaging with audiences on a scale which is unprecedented.”

More than the console 

Clash of Clans', a mobile game, is estimated to make a daily revenue of 1,321,254 dollars, noted Cooper, with 4,325,181 daily users. 

"It is free to download. Has no advertising. The only source of income is through gamers wanting to fast track levels,” he explained.

The success of gaming, which accounts for over seven billion hours weekly, should be attributed to the engagement it provides, explained the speaker. He added that it provides an experience people do not get in their day-to-day lives.

Gaming and gamification are two separate entities, the speaker explained. He went on to define gamification: “The application of game design concepts and frameworks to non-game situations in order to drive user engagement.”

Gamification for marketing and commerce

Gamification could help brands across marketing and commerce and media agencies across businesses, contended the speaker, with case studies of brands that have used gamification successfully.

Nike Fuelband: "It’s the Godfather of games. It motivated people to compete with others."

Volkswagen Speed Canvas Lottery

Zombies Run

"Creating a narrative overlay about your exercise regimes."

Gamification for business and commerce:

“Unengaged works cost companies $2 trillion annually worldwide. Just imagine if we could engage workers with work as much as games engaged with people. That would be an ‘epic win’. Work is a game so badly designed that you have to pay people to play it. The CEO of any organisation needs to start to think like a  game designer,” said Cooper.

Stephenson wrapped up the session by talking about a three-year process created by PHD – Source. “It’s a game-changing platform and an environment that makes work gamified. For media agencies, they could do everything through Source,” he said.  

He added, "It has been constructed using game mechanics - with the objective of fostering high levels of collaboration. The system functions as a strategy framework and, at the same time, a live collaboration engine that allows for everyone within PHD to work together in real time." 

Also read: Book review: ‘Game Change’ by phd