10 New Posts Today, 10.3.12 Small Business News to Use

HOME page features “Innovation is Not Best Practice”, say what?? good read  —  six CEO fundamentals; well, we need at least the fundamentals, right?  —  great article from Wharton on business gamification   —  from Australian School of Business is a post on managing with a growth mindset; good article for entrepreneurs  —  also from Australian School of Business is good read on “showrooming” as we begin our 2012 holiday season  —   from Harvard comes an article on PCAOB “charter” and what is currently in the works  —  more from Harvard Law on M&A  —  the last post today has GREAT information on the top global brands 2012 and the top 100 brands 2012, providing wonderful small business takeaways  —  plus, as always, there is more than just these highlights today, AND also please explore all the other information links and sources from our newsletter (middle column) and RSS links from great business sources with their daily updates (middle column) AND our new GUEST POST (1) and GUEST POST (2) plus INFOGRAPHICS pages (via menu bar at top)  …..  AND not to mention you can search through our over 9,170 post archives.

I am a much happier camper today (see previous two days of sign-off notes).  San Francisco delivered its marine layer again today, dropping the temperature about 30 degrees and clearing the chunky air so that one can breathe now!  I love this city and forgive its rare heat waves and chunky air.   Also, it is Fleet Week in San Francisco.  The sky will soon be full of the Blue Angels practicing for their air shows on Saturday and Sunday.  I never tire of watching them perform … although, the marine layer does need to lift a bit for them to fly.

I hope all is well for you also in whatever is your corner of the world!

Enjoy all content!

Beverly

It’s All Fun and Games | Wharton Magazine

More information into the “why” for gamification.  Read examples of success within business  —  become the designer for your businesses’ use.

Excerpt:  That’s why researchers like Werbach study gamification, or “building game-like elements into existing processes or activities.” Gamification entails the use of game elements and game design techniques in non-game contexts.

Gamification of established processes can make a significant impact.

Read full article via It’s All Fun and Games | Wharton Magazine.

Interactivity, Games and Gamification: Creating Engaged Learners

More on learning this morning  —  that, of course, means training from management and sources, yes?    The slides were a presentation on gamification and how interaction can enhance learning slash training.

Excerpt:  Gave a presentation today to the fine folks involved with TrainingMagazine Network. We had over 2,000 people register for the webinar to check out the topic and to learn a little more. Here are some resources I reference and some additional resources as well.

Here are the slides.

See slides here via TrainingMagazine Network Presentation Resources: Interactivity, Games and Gamification: Creating Engaged Learners | Kapp Notes.

Games Advertising

Get a 17 page report of status in this fast growing segment of advertising — find out what still needs to be done and more.   Great information.

Excerpt: While video games are one of the fastest-growing advertising platforms in digital media today, there are still many components that need standardization. This report identifies potential areas for standardization including: impression measurement, audience metrics and further discusses the need to address interoperability issues as a way to extend advertiser campaigns across platforms.

Subsequent reports may address audience demographics and behavior, best practices and case studies

Read full introduction and download paper IAB – Games.

Gamification and Motivation: Tapping into Psychology

There are reasons why gamification just works!   The article is within my favorite, “why we do what we do” and “why we are who we are”.   For your marketing, branding and sales, the benefit here is to tap into the why in order to successfully use the tool.

Excerpt: Gamification done right taps into people’s most basic desires. Zichermann says it’s “75% to 25%, psychology to technology.”

Michael Wu, Ph.D. discusses the relevance of the Fogg Behavioral Model in thinking about gamification. The model outlines three required factors that underlie any human behavior:

Read full article via Gamification and motivation: Tapping into psychology « iMediaConnection Blog.

What the Gaming Industry Knows About Digital Intelligence

Gamification to tame the overwhelmng data load.   Perhaps the two marry well?

Excerpt: Digital intelligence is appealing to many, but it’s equally daunting because no simple solution exists for handling massive volumes of diverse data, tracking visitors across digital channels, and directly connecting insights to actions. But one industry does stand out as an early adopter: the gaming industry.

Gaming firms have significant incentives to master analytics because game usage data is their first and best feedback loop into the health of their businesses and the needs of players. Don’t believe it? Consider this:

Read full article via What the Gaming Industry Knows About Digital Intelligence.  From Mashable

Gamification Just A Fad? Not So, Says Expert

More on gamification from the experts view.  Have you explored gamification for your business yet?  Predictions are that it is not going away and is, in fact, going to be a major player soon.

Excerpt … explore how game dynamics — like points and feedback — are being applied in the enterprise and beyond to create what analysts expect will become a $2.8 billion market in the U.S. by 2016.

We talked with conference chair and gamification author Gabe Zichermann about why the market is growing, which areas still ripe for disruption and why he believes that trend is growing and not a passing fad.

Read full article via Gamification Just A Fad? Not So, Says Expert – Venture Capital Dispatch – WSJ.

Deloitte | Gamification: Should Business Take Games Seriously | Deloitte Debates

Here is your chance to join the conversation and read what others think or do about gamification.  Is you small business using gamification or planning to do so?  Then this read should be a priority.

Excerpt: Many companies are applying the essence of games—fun, play and passion—to real-world business situations as a way to influence behaviors in everything from back-office tasks and training, to sales management and career counselling. Using game attributes that resonate with their target audiences, companies can often achieve higher performance. That’s all well and good for employee and even customer engagement, but can businesses apply gaming principles to solve more serious challenges – like strategy development and innovation?

Explore all sides below by clicking on each button:

Read issues, sides, join conversation and download paper via Deloitte | Gamification: Should Business Take Games Seriously | Deloitte Debates | Andre Hugo | Technology.

Gamification Coming to a Workplace Near You : AMEX

Review and prediction of gamification in the business world.  Article is based on indications in some major industry groups.  Interesting read.

Excerpt: Mashable spoke with several gamification experts–including Richard Taylor, senior vice president for communications and industry affairs at the trade group Entertainment Software Association (ESA)–to uncover the history and future direction of gamification.

Read full article via Gamification Coming to a Workplace Near You : Technology :: American Express OPEN Forum.

How to Use Gamification for Better Business Results

This is a great article on gamification uses and results……..delivered with the expected KISSmetrics form of lots of information and examples.   Thank you KISSmetrics.  Small business how-to

Excerpt……..Have you ever collected frequent flyer miles, taken pictures of your record MPG in your Toyota Prius, or filled out a complete profile on LinkedIn (because you wanted to reach that 100% on the profile completeness)? If so, you’ve been gamified.

Gamification is the concept of using game design elements in non-game applications to make them more fun and engaging. And it’s growing – M2 research predicts that the gamification market will reach 2.8 billion in direct spending by 2016.

Read full article…..via How to Use Gamification for Better Business Results.  From KISSmetrics

Gamifying the Executive Suite

If you are in the C-Suite…..it appears there might be games coming your way!   How about that?  What do you think, Mr. CEO? 

Excerpt……..So those gamification techiques are also being used to nudge corporate executives into performing desired functions – including completing online training programs in large multinational corporations.

Deloitte Leadership Academy (DLA) is relying on gamification techniques to get more than 10,000 harried corporate executives in 150 companies to complete online training programs. “Fundamentally, what we’re doing with gamification and DLA is to really drive that stickiness to the platform to create semi-addictive behavior,” explained Frank Farrall, national leader for Deloitte Australia’s online consulting practice.

Read full article……via Gamifying the Executive Suite.  From Read Write

Gamification: Three Ways To Use Gaming For Recruiting, Training, and Health & Wellness

Are you using or contemplating use of gaming in your business ……here is an article with stats and opinion from several in the know and ideas of how gamification is finding its way to usefulness in human resources.

Excerpt……..Gartner Group defines gamification as the concept of employing game mechanics to non-game activities such as recruitment, training and health and wellness. Gartner predicts that by 2014, more than 70 percent of global 2,000 organizations will have at least one “gamified” application, which can range from mastering a specific skill or improving one’s health.

In a recent Pew Internet/Elon University report entitled, The Future Of Gamification, 1,021 Internet experts were interviewed with some university researchers suggesting that the principles of gamification could actually improve creativity, learning, participation and motivation

Read full article…….via Gamification: Three Ways To Use Gaming For Recruiting, Training, and Health & Wellness – Forbes.

Gamification: Insights And Emerging Trends

Another great article today on gamification……  it is time to explore if you have not done so already.

Excerpt………Gamification is expanding beyond the initial verticals of media and fitness: The next target verticals are education, eCommerce, local retail (example: Belly), and financial services.

Read full article……via Gamification: Insights And Emerging Trends | TechCrunch.

Gamification – It’s Serious Fun

If you are one of the many who consider business gamification as something someone else does …not you…..read this article

Excerpt……“Gamification” is a hot, hip term right now, conjuring up images of Facebook games that may be a valuable tool for monetizing the social Web. However, for B2B marketers or customer relationship professionals, the badge concept — of rewarding loyalty, community contribution and then recognizing it and promoting it within a group or across the wider Web — is something we can apply directly to many of our organizations and customer engagement strategies. Recently, in an article on CFO.com, David Rosenbaum used the phrase “Gamification. Sounds silly.

Isn’t.” — which neatly sums up where gamification sits in the consciousness of the C-suite right now.

Read full article…….via MediaPost Publications Gamification – It’s Serious Fun 05/11/2012.

4 Tips For Gamifying Your Tired Marketing Plan

Gamification is for everyone….however, the how-to is important if you are to succeed in your marketing campaign.

Excerpt…….Darren Steele is the strategic director of Mindspace, and co-author of the gamification book, “I’ll Eat this Cricket for a Cricket Badge.” Darren can be reached at darren@mindspace.net.

The hype around gamification is fairly new, but the idea has been around for some time. In fact, badges and leader boards could be considered the new sweepstakes and loyalty rewards. And gamification is not just for major consumer brands and their tech-savvy 18-to-34-year-old demographic. There are examples where gamification in marketing has worked spectacularly for 50-year-old rural ranchers. In other words, any audience is up for grabs.

Read full article….4 Tips For Gamifying Your Tired Marketing Plan. From Mashable