The document discusses D'Youville College's use of SCVNGR, a mobile gaming platform, for campus tours, open houses, and orientation events from 2011-2012. It notes that 84% of 2012 freshmen participated in an SCVNGR scavenger hunt. The challenges of getting buy-in, technological barriers, and administrative resistance are mentioned. Tips for successful events include designating a promoter, setting up a headquarters, adequate promotion, engaging gameplay, and appropriate prizes. Results showed positive student feedback and impressions of the college after participating. Plans for future years include new scavenger hunts, improved prizes and challenges, and increased participation.
4. Tips for a successful event
•Get a cheerleader
•Set up headquarters
•Promote in advance
•Make them get it
•Don’t give lame prizes
•Be random
5. SCVNGR Treks
• Individual
Open House • 1 place, 21 challenges, 122 people, 609 activity
• Several reward thresholds, 1 overall winner points
Admitted Student • Team based
• 12 places, 18 challenges, 204 people, 1932 activity
Overnight • Most overall points
• Team based
Pharmacy • 8 places, 36 challenges, 191 people, 1715 activity
Orientation • First to finish all challenges OR most points by 5pm
6. SCVNGR
61% reported a positive
impression of DYC after
• Results participating
– Feedback from students was very positive from
both events
– Students who played in a group seemed to have
more fun than those who played individually
– Using iPhone or Android was a bit easier than
other cell phones
7. Plans for this year
•New Treks
•Sweeter prizes
•Tougher challenges
•Better participation
Notes de l'éditeur
Include charts from communication survey
Who’s buying? Admissions? Alumni? Web Services? What’s in it for me?What value is added to the organization by participatingWhat value is to the consumer for participatingAdministrative resistanceRemember how fun it was trying to convince your administration of the importance of having a social media strategy?Technological resistanceKey offices may not be willing to participate/fear of new technologyExample, new student orientation staff encourage new students to turn off their cell phone during orientationUserEducationIs your audience comfortable using LBS or social gaming?Have they heard of SCVNGR, FourSquare, etc.
Understand what types of challenges are suited for this type of game…and what is not (example, some challenges not suited for mobile)Is your audience mostly playing by smartphone or text message?In some instances, we saw people with smartphones opting to play by text b/c of wi-fi issues, areas of campus where 3G/4G access was poorMake sure your challenges “play well” in either formatIs your event tailored to individual glory or cooperative spirit? What may work well for one trek may not be suited for another
Need to have a super star to champion the game. They need to get buy in. They need to inspire people to participate. Good idea to set up a table dedicated to SCVNGR, answer questions, promote the contest, prize centralConsider offering a paper alternative so players aren't excluded Promote in advance (paper, web, social media, email, blog)If you are involving other offices, you need to really explain the game in explicit detail. Better yet, make them complete a few challenges so they get itPrizes need to be meaningful (don't offer a cooler prize for filling out a survey, then for completing the TREK) Use the rewards feature (makes it really easy to track progress within game)Consider giving random prizes early in the game to spur further participation
Open House commentsAdmitted student overnight-Prizes were awarded to the first three students to complete all of the challenges, or who had the most pointsWinners happened to be non-iPhone and -Android users, so they were notified via text message that they had wonOnly mobile numbers appear on the leaderboard for non-iPhone or –Android usersPharmacy OrientationPrizes awarded to first group to complete all of the challenges, or who had the most pointsCalled out the name of the winning group leaderEach person from that group received a prize
New Treks-student appreciation day, 1 overall winner (multiple treks for incoming students)All on-campus eventsSelf-guided toursOrientationAthletics eventsAlumni eventsCity of BuffaloSweeter prizes-iPad, Kindle (made deal with web services, we pay for SCVNGR, you pay for prizes)Tougher challengesHigher participation (internally & externally)
