How Hungarian companies use gamification to drive business growth

Hungary’s business sector is fast evolving, with companies increasingly looking for new ways to attract and retain customers in a competitive environment. This means looking beyond traditional features of interaction that customers have become accustomed to but weary of over the years. While improving UX and lowering fees can help, some companies have moved to gamification as a credible way to build engagement, thereby turning routine interactions with companies into game-like experiences. By improving customer experience this way, Hungarian companies can increase customer loyalty and drive business growth.

Use of Gaming-Inspired Design Across Sectors

Gamification has become a tactic employed across industry in recent years. A striking parallel can be viewed in the online gaming and casino sector. Companies like Betfair offer users a chance to bet money in increasingly interactive environments. Features such as daily free spins, spins for rewards, or live-dealer games help to increase customer engagement and transform the online experience. Similar models are used in education apps like Duolingo, which offers rewards for learning streaks, and running apps like Strava give athletes recurring challenges. These features can increase brand loyalty, which every brand wants to achieve. 

Hungarian Companies and Gamification

In Hungary, firms employ similar tactics to try to encourage regular engagement and long-term usage. MOL Group, an oil and energy company, has integrated gamification into its loyalty program. Using their MOL Move app, they have tried to create deeper engagement that allows customers to complete challenges and unlock rewards. Antavo, a company founded by Hungarians and headquartered in London, has created a business-to-business loyalty platform. Mirroring what is seen in other sectors, they have turned mundane interactions into something more through challenges-based incentives with the chance to win points and badges. Furthermore, in the retail space, Spar Hungary runs gamified campaigns on their app and social channels that allow customers to use codes from receipts to win prizes.

Why This Matters

By borrowing tactics from sectors such as iGaming, Hungarian companies are rethinking the customer relationship. They are rewarding not just the exchange of money but rather the exchange of time as customers return to their platforms and apps, businesses can develop deep loyalty and lifetime customer value. If we take a look at the fintech industry, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) states that there are over 200 fintech companies in the country. With this comes increased competition, and it creates an opportunity for companies to attempt to differentiate themselves from the crowd. This can only benefit customers as financial companies seek to develop different behavioral engagement strategies. 

As Hungary’s economy continues to develop, gamification looks like it can play a strategic role. Whether it’s in the fintech, retail, or energy space, reward loops and interactive experiences can improve the customer experience. Already used to a successful degree, companies are proving that playful design can be implemented no matter the type of customer relationship and that it is not just a novelty but something that will build brand value in the future.