Playing is for every age

"We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing." Socialist and playwright George Bernard Shaw spoke these wise words that are still more than relevant today. Whether we are adults or not, everyone has a need to play and have fun.

Where does that need come from? According to researcher and TED speaker Stuart Brown, play is much more than just fun, it's an essential part of life. Nothing stimulates the brain more than play, says Brown. Anyone who played a lot as a child and especially keeps this type of playing in his or her adult life, has increased insight, higher creativity and better problem-solving ability.

It is not without reason that we have seen a trend for years among large companies that like to continue this philosophy in their business philosophy. A well-known example is the Googleplex, Google's campus in Silicon Valley, where play is central. Employees can play a game of (table) football, tennis, ping pong or computer games to their heart's content and the layout of the working environment also invites you to play: think of the famous slides in the Google offices. Also within companies closer to home, play seems to increasingly play a dominant role. Think for example of Coolblue. They set up playful meeting rooms in their head office in Rotterdam; from a box castle (after all, the customer is king) to a rotating cup as seen in De Efteling for meetings.

The game element has also been incorporated into countless applications and products for consumers. Think of apps where points are collected after a purchase, which can be converted into discounts or 'stars.' Games can also be used to encourage consumers to learn more about a product or to try other products. Think, for example, of the popular beer apps where you earn points by tasting different specialty beers and sharing this with your friends. Offline consumers are finding the game element in more and more interactive possibilities on the shop floor, such as digital full-length mirrors and customizer walls to design your own clothes or shoes. And with success; it creates more positive interaction between the customer and the brand and thus increases customer loyalty.

So it pays to give your customers more chance to play both online and offline. How do you approach this for your own brand? This can be different for every brand, but think of setting up fun online promotions and quizzes, introducing your audience to your (new) range in a playful way and organizing (creative) events. This creates a positive mindset in your audience, which can lead to growing loyalty and sales. Make sure that you keep the relevance so that you continue to address your target group in the right way. Curious how you do this? Neem contact op met Senta!

In the meantime, do you feel like playing? Senta is developing various Sensory Games in collaboration with SmartNose!