NEW YORK, NY – At its core, gamification is about motivating action by having fun. New research from Ogilvy Earth suggests games can be a powerful way to create brand engagement while driving green behaviors.

As part of Social Media Week at Baruch College, the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity is hosting a panel discussion titled, “Green Gamification: Using Game Mechanics to Promote Sustainability,” from 4 to 6 p.m., February 15, in the Newman Conference Center, room 750. Registration is now open.

Innovative companies are “gamifying” their marketing campaigns to fulfill human desires for rewards such as status, goods, achievement and reciprocity. The discussion will focus on game-based marketing techniques to reward green actions by using mobile Apps, website tools and social media.

The event, which is part of Social Media Week at Baruch College, is co-sponsored by Bennu, a green social marketing company that was started in 2010 by a diverse group of social entrepreneurs who met while pursuing their MBA’s at Baruch. The founders, Sayaka Eto, Ashok Kamal and Kevin Ng, came from across the world with varying backgrounds in finance, management, graphic design, and marketing to form a company that focuses on using business to tackle social and environmental problems.

“People inherently want to protect the environment – for the sake of themselves, their families, and future generations,” said Kamal, Co-founder and CEO of Bennu. “But people don’t want to be browbeaten into changing their behavior. Gamification makes going green fun. People play games and receive rewards for greening their lifestyle. Moreover, people want to be part of a community, so as their peers start to live more sustainably, it creates a powerful social motive to join the crowd.”

Kamal will moderate the discussion by panelists who include: Susan Hunt Stevens, Founder & CEO, Practically Green; Samantha Skey, Chief Revenue Officer, Recyclebank; Dan Vallejo, Co-Founder & CEO, The Mutual; Albe Zakes, Global VP, Media Relations, TerraCycle; and Anthony Zolezzi, Co-Founder, Greenopolis.

And like many companies who strive to encouragepeople to modify their behaviors in order to help the environment, Bennu has found creative ways to reach current and potential clients.

“Bennu creates social media campaigns that make sustainability rewarding,” Kamal said. “For example, we work with companies that give you points for recycling, so you feel good while earning rewards for every green step.”

Source: Baruch College, City University of New York

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