Is gamification merely another shiny object in public affairs?
I can already hear you think, “Oh no, Shweta, not another shiny object in the Brussels policymaking landscape! It’s challenging enough to persuade the powers that be to engage in better social media tactics, creative EP exhibitions, host events that are not just panel discussions, and press releases that are not really press releases. Why are you bringing up gamification? It's going to be so hard to convince my colleagues. Just thinking about it is getting me exhausted.”
In a town where internal wins are the real triumphs, I understand your dilemma. I have been there, where you are, where policy nerds are doing more comms and some comms colleagues are required to deliver only the tried-and-tested tactics (think social media posts) to make dent in their organisation’s objectives.
Remember, every new communication tactic starts as a 'shiny new object"—until it doesn’t. Once the early adopters show success, what was once shiny and new becomes the standard. Take, for example, the evolution of in-house newsrooms; what started as a novel idea is now mainstream in Brussels. I remember when Twitter was all the rage and LinkedIn was the boardroom (in Brett Kobie’s words). Now you have incredible comms talents like Jacques Foul giving you LinkedIn training. It's amazing to see how far Brussels has come. And the future looks promising, with entities like Politico beginning to explore gamification as a viable communication offering.
So, what should you know about this new tactic?
What exactly is gamification? Gamification involves integrating game-playing elements to enhance engagement with a product or service. For Brussels, gamification can transform your videos into interactive quizzes or morph your content into immersive, choose-your-own-adventure games that reward users for engaging, significantly boosting interaction and information retention. For Brussels, this could mean using game mechanics to illustrate your Manifestos, encouraging policymakers to actively explore complex issues instead of passively reading lengthy documents.
Remember, a game is just a tool to achieve your objectives, not the end goal. Whether it’s distinguishing your industry in this noisy policy market, explaining concepts in more engaging ways, or enhancing your infographics, the aim is to add clarity to your policy asks.
It’s crucial to manage internal expectations by clarifying that the game will not simply regurgitate your policy positions or papers. Instead, the game mechanics will help demystify policy stances, the “how” behind implementing the AI Act in your industry, etc. and the interactivity will prompt policymakers to ask pertinent questions before they meet you.
Don't let anyone tell you that gamification is reserved only for “sexier” industries or causes. The more obscure, niche, or unique your industry or cause is described as, the more relevant gamification (as a tactic) is to explain what you stand for, why your industry or cause should be taken seriously, who you are, why your policy asks are what they are.
If we focus on the "regular" lives behind the policymakers we are trying to reach, the "play" part will make the policy positions easy-to-understand, providing context, and insight into what this means in real life, what your key asks in your Manifestos really mean in a given MEP’s context. What does Europe’s competitiveness on a global stage really mean locally?
Expect to hear continued doubts about whether gamification is just another 'shiny object' that fails to deliver substantial results. But remember, this was once said about every other communication tactic, starting with your infographic, your EP exhibition, your blog, your social media posts, etc… Gamification may be the new kid on the block, and with time, it too will prove its worth.
