A World Full of Great Ideas and Free Thinking

Since its inception, Saatchi & Saatchi S has been on the forefront of engagement. As CEO and co-founder, I have been tremendously proud and inspired by our focus on activating “good” within companies and amongst employees, consumers and communities. We have always been committed to widespread paradigm change. Period.

Through partnerships with some of the world’s largest companies and most iconic brands, including AT&T, Wal-Mart, McDonalds, General Mills, WellPoint, Frito-Lay, and many others, Saatchi S has developed a solid understanding of what it takes to engage people, build communities, and evolve culture on a massive scale. We are also the first to recognize that sustained engagement – be it in the context of a brand, an organization, or a set of personal values and principles – is something that is continuously in need of shaping and cultivating. We saw this first hand years ago when we architected the world’s largest and most successful grassroots culture change initiative ever undertaken by a Fortune 500 corporation.

Real and sustained engagement is always a function of both art and science. Intelligent strategy, behavioral science, inspiring communications, beautiful creative design and innovative digital platforms – all of these are incredibly intertwined and in a constant state of flux. They are also all greatly influenced by society at large and our ability to share, connect and inform through social media. And, of course, we are also witnessing the emergence of fun, play, games and challenges as highly effective catalysts for engagement which have the potential to produce value to brands, businesses, individuals and stakeholders across the country and world.

We recently undertook a remarkable and insightful study called Engagement Unleashed: Gamification for Business, Brands and Loyalty. Since sharing a summary of the key findings via SlideShare, the response has been overwhelming and I want to personally thank you for taking the time to explore our findings and share them with others. The overarching purpose for partnering with Ipsos OTX MediaCT, part of the global research enterprise of Ipsos, was to conduct a study using sound research methodology.

The study involved a representative sample of approximately 2000, U.S. online individuals ages 18-44. The research was conducted in order to gain a better perspective on current behaviors and attitudes towards a variety issues pertaining to games, social challenges, workplace, brand experiences, social good and many other areas. We also sought to gauge reaction and interest to some possible future scenarios. Results from this study will contribute to an overall effort by Saatchi S in developing a better understanding of engagement models and vehicles.

According to Eric Villain, President, Ipsos OTX MediaCT, “In a rapidly evolving landscape, where seemingly almost anything is possible, measuring people’s reaction to what ‘might be’ can be difficult. Conducting studies such as these are replete with complexities that require a high degree of framing and analysis. There is much for us all to learn about consumer behavior in this space and this study helps to highlight trends, insights and opportunities that are relevant for a wide range of business leaders. We are pleased to partner with Saatchi S on their journey towards understanding how to deliver greater value to businesses, brands, and stakeholders."

At Saatchi S, we believe that ideas, definitions and concepts can, do and must evolve over time and in a democratic fashion. To suggest otherwise, as some have in reference to the study, is to do a disservice to the potential that is before us. Saatchi S has the highest regard for academic opinions and research, as they represent a vital part of any discourse. We are glad, however, that the old days of kowtowing to self-appointed Ivory Tower gurus more concerned with semantics, artificial rules and stiff definitions than real-world solutions are long gone. With Twitter, SlideShare, Facebook, blogs and the like, everyone can equally engage in a dialogue with an eye towards advancement for collective good.

So, when someone tells us we used the wrong definition of “gamification” or disingenuously attempts to poke holes in our methodology as a means to gain a business edge in an area that is best served by collaboration and knowledge sharing, we respectfully disagree and suggest they not mistake the forest for the trees. Similarly, when working with a couple thousand, randomly selected Americans, as opposed to conversing at an industry conference, it is okay to give people a kind of context to the questions they are being asked and also to ask questions that may reveal biases or confirm certain hypotheses. And, sometimes, if you have the audacity to think out-of-the-box, you can even ask consumers about something that doesn’t quite exist yet to get a sense for what might be possible. Imagine that.

We don’t expect everyone to agree with us on how we view gamification or engagement, especially in light of the fact that we are just at the early stages of what is tantamount to a renaissance. To the contrary, we think all views are worthy of a certain degree of attention and respect. With that in mind, those that attempt to assert dominion over the discussion are ultimately serving to stifle exploration and creativity. The Saatchi S study is a small piece of a very big puzzle and our work in this arena is one that is continuously shaped and augmented by many bright and creative minds. We welcome all of you to continue on this journey with us in further debate, exploration and fun.

-- Judah Schiller, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi S