SAN JOSE, CA — (Marketwire) — 10/21/11 — , the pioneer and market leader in gamification, is teaming up with the Los Angeles Kings to launch a gamified fan appreciation program where fans can come together to interact and express their dedication to the team. The program, which uses game mechanics like challenges, achievements and rewards to increase user engagement and loyalty, is the first of its kind in the sports world.
“The United Kings Family — U.K.F” program, powered by Bunchball-s industry-leading Nitro gamification platform, will include a variety of compelling features aimed at enriching the Kings- online community:
Kings fans have the chance to earn virtual badges, trophies and achievements based on site participation.
Rewards are earned through online interactions such as watching videos, passing out special offers and discussing the Kings through their social media networks.
Fans will also compete for a position on league tables to be named the Kings- “biggest fan.”
In addition to the virtual rewards, fan activity will be rewarded with real world pay-offs like VIP behind the scenes experiences, interaction with players, signed merchandise, tickets and more.
“The Kings are excited to be the first sports team to launch a gamification program through our partnership with Bunchball. We feel our fans are the most powerful marketing voice we have, and this platform allows us to engage and reward them for demonstrating their passion for the Kings. In a constantly-evolving digital landscape, we feel gamification is going to play an increasingly important role in how teams and brands activate their most engaged users,” said Jonathan Lowe, vice president of marketing for the Los Angeles Kings.
The Nitro platform is an end-to-end gamification solution, enabling the Kings to quickly develop and deploy a virtual platform for fan self-expression and interaction. “The United Kings Family — U.K.F” will give the Kings- most ardent fans a sense of being part of the team, and being connected to the organization in a meaningful way.
“By teaming up with the L.A. Kings, we are able to create the first gamified solution aimed at increasing a sports team-s interaction with its fans,” said Steve Patrizi, chief revenue officer, Bunchball. “It makes perfect sense to take the things fans love about hockey games — competition, teamwork, winning — and extend them to the Kings- online presence. We-re excited to be working with an organization like the L.A. Kings as gamification makes a leap into the world of professional sports.”
Bunchball is the industry leader in gamification, an innovative way of engaging users, motivating employees and increasing customer loyalty. Gamification works by integrating game mechanics into digital experiences in order to influence and motivate people. This helps drive a deeper, more compelling user experience, which leads to tangible business benefits, such as increased employee productivity, customer loyalty and revenues. Bunchball-s Nitro platform is being used by some of the world-s leading companies to create experiences that combine intuitive game mechanics with compelling content. Bunchball-s customers include Warner Bros., Comcast, USA Network, LiveOps and Hasbro. Based in Silicon Valley and founded in February 2005, Bunchball-s investors include Granite Ventures, Triangle Peak Partners, Northport Investments, Correlation Ventures and Adobe Systems Incorporated. For more information, visit Bunchball online at .
The Los Angeles Kings began play in 1967 and have called STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles home since 1999. The Kings have had more nearly 600 players take the ice for the franchise, including five greats who have had their sweaters retired: Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, Dave Taylor, Rogie Vachon and Marcel Dionne. This year-s club, a contender for the Stanley Cup, features star players Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick. Learn more about the Kings by visiting LAKings.com, and follow the Kings on Twitter () and Facebook ().
Melissa Roxas
Inner Circle Labs
(415) 684-9401
Email:
Michael Altieri
Los Angeles Kings Hockey Club
(310) 535-4545
Email:
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