Time-limited opportunities that create urgency through potential loss
Core Idea: Evanescent Opportunities are experiences or rewards that will disappear if users don't act immediately, creating urgency through the fear of missing out.
Key Elements
-
Implementation Forms:
- Limited-Time Offers: Deals that expire after a certain period
- Disappearing Content: Items that will vanish if not captured quickly
- One-Time Events: Experiences that won't be repeated
-
Key Mechanisms:
- Combines Core Drive 7 - Unpredictability and Curiosity with Core Drive 8 - Loss and Avoidance
- Often implemented with Countdown Timers for visual reinforcement
- Creates immediate focus on the opportunity at the expense of other activities
-
Real-World Examples:
- Diablo III's Treasure Goblin: A monster that appears randomly, runs away when attacked, and disappears through a portal if not defeated quickly
- Limited-time sales: "Flash sales" or other time-restricted offers
- Charity matching periods: "For the next hour, donations will be matched"
- Coca-Cola's "Chok" campaign: Users had to shake their phones during specific TV commercials to win prizes
-
Design Considerations:
- The opportunity must be genuinely desirable
- Time constraints should be tight enough to create urgency but not so tight they create frustration
- Countdown Timers make the passage of time more salient, increasing effectiveness
Additional Connections
- Broader Context: Temporal Dynamics in Motivation (how time influences decision-making)
- Applications: Marketing with Urgency (commercial applications)
- See Also: Countdown Timers (complementary feedback mechanic)
References
- Yu-kai Chou, Actionable Gamification
- Coca Cola's Chok campaign in Hong Kong (380,000 downloads in one month)
#gamification #marketing #urgency #loss-aversion
Connections:
Sources: