Gamification in Marketing, Increasing Engagement, Interaction, and Customer Retention in Telecommunications Companies
Subject Areas :
Ali Mojtabaei
1
,
Majid Fattahi
2
1 - Ph.D Student. Department of Business Administration, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran
2 - Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, IRAN.
Keywords: Gamification, marketing mix, telecommunications companies, customer retention, customer experience.,
Abstract :
Gamification, as an innovative tool in the service industry, emphasizes the experiences of customers and service providers. This study explores its impact on the marketing mix in Iranian telecommunications companies (Hamrah Aval, Irancell, and RighTel). The research is developmental-applied and descriptive-analytical, conducted in 2024–2025 using a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected in two stages. In the first stage, semi-structured questionnaires and expert consultations in telecommunications and marketing were used to develop the initial conceptual model, which was analyzed thematically. In the second stage, the model was tested in selected companies through structured questionnaires and structural equation modeling.
Findings showed that gamification significantly enhances marketing and key performance indicators in Hamrah Aval. Results included a 43% increase in customer feedback, a 27% reduction in product development time, a 56% rise in participation in promotional campaigns, and a 35% improvement in customer perception of service value. It also led to a 22% reduction in operational costs, a 31% decrease in service errors, and a 35% boost in process efficiency.
Overall, gamification not only improves customer experience and loyalty but also strengthens competitiveness, organizational productivity, and cost reduction. Moreover, by influencing marketing mix components such as product, price, promotion, place, process, people, and physical evidence, gamification plays a crucial role in improving service quality, increasing customer interaction, and reinforcing brand identity.
1. داوری، علی.، و رضا زاده، آرش. (1402). مدل‌سازی معادلات ساختاری با نرم‌افزار PLS. تهران: انتشارات جهاد دانشگاهی.
2. فرهادی، پدرام.، و تبریزی، نازنین. (۱۴۰۲). بررسی مزایای گیمیفیکیشن در گردشگری: مطالعه موردی سایت تاریخی تخت جمشید. مطالعات مدیریت گردشگری، ۱۸(۶۳)، ۲۲۹-۲۶۳.
3. فردوسی، سجاد. (۱۴۰۳). انتخاب سایت‌های اکوتوریسم برای توسعه پایدار مناطق روستایی. مجله اکوتوریسم، ۱-۱۹.
4. فردوسی، سجاد.، شاه محمدی، حمید. رضا.، و جلالی، مریم. (۱۳۹۷). مطالعه قابلیت‌های اقلیم گردشگری در سواحل جنوبی خزر. مجله داده‌های جغرافیایی، ۲۶(۱۰۴)، ۱۰۳-۱۱۵.
5. زیاری، کرامت اله.، رضوانی، محمد. رضا.، و فردوسی، سجاد. (۱۳۹۹). تعیین ظرفیت فیزیکی-اکولوژیکی گردشگری ساحلی و تأثیر آن بر رضایت گردشگران: مطالعه موردی بندر گز. مجله علوم محیطی و فناوری، ۲۲(۶)، ۱۸۹-۲۰۲.
6. زیاری، کرامت اله.، رضوانی، محمد. رضا.، و فردوسی، سجاد. (۱۳۹۸). تعیین ظرفیت اجتماعی گردشگران ساحلی: مطالعه موردی بندر گز. مجله علوم محیطی و فناوری، ۲۱(۵)، ۱۲۳-۱۳۵. Abou-Shouk, M., & Soliman, M. (2021). The impact of gamification adoption intention on brand awareness and loyalty in tourism: The mediating effect of customer engagement. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 20, 100559.
Briggs, A., Dowling, R., & Newsome, D. (2023). Geoparks – learnings from Australia. Journal of Tourism Futures, 9(3), 351–365.
Catana, M. M., & Brilha, J. B. (2020). The role of UNESCO global geoparks in promoting geosciences education for sustainability. Geoheritage, 12(1), 1.
Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. E. (2021). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining “Gamification”. In Mindtrek proceedings (pp. 9-15). Tampere, Finland: ACM Press.
Farhadi, P., & Tabrizi, N. (2023). Assessing the benefits of gamification in tourism: A case study of the Persepolis Historic Site. Tourism Management Studies, 18(63), 229-263.
Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2016). Principles of marketing (16th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Meira, S. A., da Silva, E. V., do Nascimento, M. A. L., & Orús, A. H. (2021). Geodiversity, marketing and photographic images: the Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark (Spain) as a geotouristic destination. Caderno de Geografia, 31(66), 766-787. https://doi.org/10.5752/p.2318-2962.2021v31n66p766
Molokac, M., Kornecká, E., Pavolová, H., Bakalár, T., & Jesenský, M. (2023). Online marketing of European geoparks as a landscape promotion tool. Land, 12(4), 803. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040803 Moorthi, Y., & Roy, S. (2017). Is “proof” the Eighth “P” of service? A conceptual model and propositions. Services Marketing Quarterly, 38(4), 213-225. Negrusa, A., Toader, V., Sofica, A., Tutunea, M., & Rus, R. (2015). Exploring gamification techniques and applications for sustainable tourism. Sustainability, 7(8), 11160-11189.
Pasca, M. G., Renzi, M. F., Di Pietro, L., & Guglielmetti Mugion, R. (2021). Gamification in tourism and hospitality research in the era of digital platforms: A systematic literature review. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 31(5), 691-737.
Pourfaraj, A., Ghaderi, E., Jomehpour, M., & Ferdowsi, S. (2019). Analyzing vulnerability of geotourism attractions in tourism destinations. Journal of Environmental Erosion Research, 9(3), 23-42.
Prapannetivuth, A. (2015). The marketing mix in small sized hotels: A case of Pattaya, Thailand. International Journal of Social, Behavioral, Educational, Economic, Business and Industrial Engineering, 9(11), 3903-3906.
Soper, D. S. (2024). A-priori sample size calculator for structural equation models [Software]. http://www.danielsoper.com/statcalc UNESCO. (2023). New nominations for UNESCO Global Geoparks for the 216th session of the Executive Board 2023.
Xi, N., & Hamari, J. (2019). Does gamification satisfy needs? A study on the relationship between gamification features and intrinsic need satisfaction. International Journal of Information Management, 46, 210-221.
Xu, F., & Buhalis, D. (2021). Gamification for tourism. Bristol, Blue Ridge Summit: Channel View Publications.
