Identifying a unique opportunity in the cyclical DIY industry, OBI Switzerland tapped into the innovative realm of gamification, not just as a momentary marketing tool but as a cornerstone for building lasting customer loyalty. By implementing game elements into their diverse home improvement offerings online and in physical stores, OBI Switzerland revitalizes the traditional DIY shopping experience, enhancing the affinity between do-it-yourselfers and the trusted OBI brand.
In March 1999, the German DIY retail chain OBI and its franchise partner Migros opened its first store in Switzerland, located just across the German border in Basel. Since then, further stores have been established, and today, OBI Switzerland is found in more than 10 locations across the country.
As a modern retail company, OBI Switzerland offers a wide range of products. As such, OBI Switzerland is a competent full-range supplier for all areas relating to technology, building, gardening, and living. On average, an OBI store carries around 60,000 – 80,000 items in its assortment. In addition, the DIY retail chain in Switzerland runs an online store with over 50,000 articles that can be shipped to customers’ home.
Besides their large selection of branded products and recurring attractive promotions, OBI Switzerland also offers expert advice, consulting on numerous ideas and innovations.
Whether it’s DIY enthusiasts or individuals looking for DIY material to start a new project in their living spaces, OBI Switzerland has become a preferred destination for those seeking reliable solutions and exceptional shopping experiences in the home improvement sector.
The DIY sector faces several challenges, with one of the primary concerns being the cyclical nature of the business. Most DIY projects are undertaken during the spring and summer months, leading to fluctuations in demand during the autumn and winter seasons. This cyclicality poses a challenge for retailers to maintain consistent sales throughout the year.
Another significant challenge is attracting new customers and expanding the customer base. With intense competition in the home improvement market, retailers must design innovative marketing strategies and promotions to entice potential customers and effectively communicate the value of their products and services. Building brand awareness is vital to stand out in the crowded market, and retailers must engage in targeted advertising, community outreach, and online presence to establish a recognizable and trustworthy brand.
In the digital age, increasing traffic on websites and online shops is essential to cater to the growing preference for online shopping. Retailers must invest in optimizing their digital platforms, providing seamless user experiences, and leveraging digital marketing to effectively reach a broader online audience. Additionally, attracting the younger generation is crucial for securing the future customer base. Retailers must adapt their offerings to attract the younger generation by matching their values and lifestyle choices, emphasizing sustainability and eco-friendly solutions, and using social media to connect with this audience.
By addressing these challenges proactively, retailers in the DIY sector can position themselves for continued growth and success in a dynamic and competitive market.
As mentioned, the DIY sector operates in a cyclical nature, with peak seasons causing fluctuations in customer interest. However, OBI Switzerland addressed this challenge by using gamification to maintain customer engagement throughout the year. By incorporating game-like elements into seasonal campaigns and offering rewards and limited-time promotions OBI Switzerland managed to motivate customers to participate and make DIY projects a year-round activity.
Moreover, OBI Switzerland did not only address existing customers, but also attracted new customers by using gamification to build broader brand awareness and aligning their online and social media promotion to reach their target audience of the younger generation and families.
By advertising the gamified campaigns on their own website and giving out vouchers that could be redeemed online and in-store both the online webpage traffic and the in-store footfall could be increased throughout the year instead of only during peak seasons.
For OBI Switzerland, partnering with Brame has delivered various advantages. While OBI Switzerland has collaborated with different third-party gamification agencies in the past, the return on investment often fell short of expectations due to disproportionate service costs. This makes OBI Switzerland particularly appreciative of Brame’s model of offering a “Software-as-a-Service” (SaaS) solution. According to Andreas Weber, Campaign Manager of the X-Channel Marketing Team within OBI Switzerland’s E-Commerce department, Brame’s setup empowers OBI Switzerland to autonomously create their gamification campaigns at a significantly reduced cost compared to their past gamified marketing campaigns.
Andreas further highlighted the great flexibility and adaptability of Brame’s tool. He emphasized that Brame’s software eliminates OBI Switzerland’s dependency on external agencies to meet deadlines.
Andreas points out that while the software is remarkably intuitive, on occasions they encountered issues or required assistance, Brame’s team responded promptly with exemplary support. Furthermore, continual software updates and new game types and features that Brame releases enable OBI Switzerland to consistently refresh customer engagement points.
Beyond gamified marketing, OBI Switzerland leverages Brame’s SaaS to design online surveys, gathering valuable feedback for the diverse OBI Workshops conducted annually. Andreas believes this multi-functionality accentuates the value of their collaboration with Brame.
Compared to previous third-party providers, Brame offers us a more flexible tool and the possibility to independently create campaigns at a considerable lower cost.
OBI Switzerland’s gamified campaigns were highly effective for the DIY company and continuously achieved to accomplish its various marketing goals.
OBI Switzerland’s Spring campaign featuring a gamified memory game engaged its players for over one minute on average, ensuring that customers fully immersed themselves in the game. Through this campaign, OBI collected more than 1,800 unique leads in just three weeks, allowing the company to have many new and relevant contacts it could address in the upcoming primary season during the summer.
Due to the success of OBI Switzerland’s first memory game, the DIY company launched a second memory campaign during the busy summer season, which turned out to be even more successful, showcasing that once gamification is regularly used, customers are more aware of the brand and are looking forward to upcoming interactive campaigns. The second memory campaign reached almost 4,000 unique players, and OBI collected nearly 3,000 leads in only two weeks.
To boost sales once more towards the end of summer, OBI Switzerland then decided to use a classic spin-the-wheel game and give out multiple instant prizes and one main prize to incentivize participation and near-time purchases to redeem the instant vouchers. The campaign was a complete success. Of the redeemed coupons, 78% were used by new customers, proving that gamification is not only effective to entertain existing customers and convince new customers to convert.
OBI Switzerland is convinced in the power of gamification, whether it’s for marketing seasonal products, generating leads, gathering feedback from on-site workshops, or offering ongoing touchpoints for its dedicated customer base.
After partnering with Brame, the DIY retailer eagerly anticipates using gamification to keep elevating their marketing campaigns and explore further game types and possibilities to use the innovative tool. Moreover, OBI Switzerland wants to use gamification in other departments and firmly integrate it across the business to construct a true omnichannel approach to offer its customers a seamless customer experience, no matter if they shop in-store or offline.
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Schedule a live demo with one of our product specialists at your convenience.
We can learn about your requirements, answer questions, and review ways Brame can help your organization to achieve your goals and engage with your audience.
Please submit your information below and we will be in touch shortly to set up a live demo.
