The ZIZO Effect Recap: Ep.1-3

Dive into "The ZIZO Effect Recap: Episodes 1-3" with Emma Ovaska, ZIZO's marketing coordinator, as we journey through the fascinating world of gamification. From its ancient roots in the Lydian Empire to its transformative impact on modern industries like fitness with Peloton, customer engagement with Starbucks, and language learning with Duolingo, this recap enlightens, inspires, and challenges our understanding of gamification's role in our lives and workplaces. 

Explore how gamification has evolved to meet the needs of a changing workforce, particularly with the advent of Gen Z into the job market, and discover the potential it holds to enhance engagement, loyalty, and satisfaction across various aspects of daily life and work. 

If you're new to the concept or looking to deepen your understanding, join us for a compelling overview of gamification's power to reshape experiences and expectations. 

Don't forget to listen to the full episodes for more insights and follow us on social media @playzizo for the latest on exploring the endless possibilities with gamification. It's always game time with The ZIZO Effect.

Transcript

Emma Ovaska: 0:19

Welcome to the ZIZO Effect Recap. I'm Emma Ovaska, the marketing coordinator here at ZIZO, and today we're recapping our first three episodes. Whether you're joining us for the first time or coming back for more insights, today's episode is designed to enlighten, inspire and maybe even challenge the way you think about gamification. So let's dive in. Let's start our journey with episode one Game On: Unlocking Gamification. This episode introduced us to the history and evolution of gamification. We discovered its ancient beginnings and how it is now a big part of our daily lives, affecting everything from how we achieve personal goals to how brands keep us coming back for more. Jimmy shares the story of the Lydian Empire and the beginnings of gamification. It's a story about survival, creativity and the human ability to find solutions through game mechanics.

Jimmy Chebat: 1:08

Lydians, in second millennial BC. They were starving and the king of the Lydians said, hey, we need to preserve our community. So, he devised a plan where he split society in half and he said to one half like everybody gets to eat every other day, and on the day that you're not eating, you get to play games.

Emma Ovaska: 1:31

Seeing how long gamification has been around really puts things into perspective. Moving forward, let's see how this age-old concept is applied today across different fields. During episode two, "xploring the diverse applications of gamification, we looked at how companies like Peloton, starbucks and Duolingo are using gamification today. Their stories are not just about innovation. They show how gamification can make a real difference in keeping users engaged and loyal. Let's revisit Peloton, a gamification master who gave new life to the stationary bike and transformed the fitness industry. This part of the conversation shows how Peloton created a strong community and motivated millions through gamification, changing the fitness industry.

Jimmy Chebat: 2:14

Community engagement, the leaderboards. It's not just about the competition, but it's also a sense of community that you're part of something. Goal setting users can set their fitness goals and with the app, I believe, they continuously push you. One of the most effective tools of gamification is that extrinsic motivators rewards recognition.

Emma Ovaska: 2:37

It's clear from this example how powerful gamification can be in changing the way we interact with brands, services and everyday life. But how about in our workplace? Our next episode gave us the answer. In episode three, "E three, " Exit Understanding Employee Turnover, we focused on the workplace, discussing employee turnover and how to keep people happy at work. We looked at the changing job market, especially with younger workers like Gen Z, and the growing popularity of the gig economy to understand how jobs and employee expectations are evolving. In this scene, we talk about the challenges and new opportunities that come with today's workforce, including how Gen Z is starting to make their mark on jobs in company culture. It's a glimpse into the future of work and the role of gamification can play.

Jimmy Chebat: 3:24

Gen Z is different. Gen Z is they, just they had just started entering the workforce. They were the first generation that grew up with technology in their hands. Their minds are conditioned with technology and there's something called TikTok brain where you know people need something different every 30 seconds or 10 seconds, 15 seconds. They get bored. So that's one of the primary reasons of the uptick is the new generation. They're just different.

Emma Ovaska: 3:53

The way we work is changing fast and finding new ways, like gamification, to keep people engaged and happy is more important than ever. Our episodes showcase the power and flexibility of gamification across different areas of life and work. As we wrap up our journey through the highlights of the ZIZO Effect podcast, I hope you feel inspired by the potential of gamification. From its roots in ancient times to its current role in shaping our experiences in workplaces, gamification opens a world of possibilities. If today's episode caught your interest and you're eager to learn more, please listen to the full episodes, subscribe to our podcast and follow us on social media at playzizo, for more engaging content. Together, we can keep exploring the world of gamification. Until next time, keep playing, learning and enjoying the journey. Remember, it's always game time.