Leaderboards, like points and badges, are an unarguably popular convention of games, and the steady march of gamification means we’re seeing them turn up in an increasing number of places. Ranking top users based upon known and agreed upon metrics, leaderboards are an increasingly popular way for offering feedback since they incorporate a performance measure (“how am I doing?”) and make it social by allowing easy comparison with others (“how do I stack up against the competition?”).

But there is a subtlety to leaderboards which is often forgotten by the gamefiers of the world. When done well, a leaderboard can increase engagement – the sense of competition they bring can encourage users to get better at things they care about. The mass-adoption of leaderboards comes with many pitfalls, however, that not only disincentivize users but irritate the hell out of them as well.

Relevancy is the name of the game when it comes to feedback, the more relevant your leaderboard is to a specific user the more engaging it will be. Here are 3 things you can do to make better, more relevant leaderboards: Read more

Near the end of Jason Reitman’s 2009 film Up In The Air, corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham, played by George Clooney, achieves a nearly unprecedented status: ten million frequent flyer miles. To celebrate, the chief pilot of the airline joins him mid-flight and they share a toast. The chief, played by The Big Lebowski’s Sam Elliott, offers Ryan simple congratulations, “We value your loyalty.” But do they? Do they even know how to value it?

If you spend a day shopping, you’ll repeatedly hear the question, “Are you a member of our loyalty program?” Loyalty programs are expanding, which is not surprising given that today’s highly competitive marketplace has made having one a no-brainer. Most, even the most ill-conceived, tend to produce small, single-digit gains which, at scale can add up to hundreds of millions of dollars. Of course, loyalty can mean different things to different people. To industry insiders, loyalty largely means how often consumers visit and how much they spend. But loyalty is also an emotional state, one that is earned (not bought), and based on real world experiences.

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