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Like a modern day treasure hunt, scavenger hunts are made up of a series of clues that players collect either by scanning QR barcodes or checking-in to locations. Connecting real world objects with digital applications and content, brands are using scavenger hunts to tap into gamification – as one of the biggest trends in digital media of 2012.

On first look, scavenger hunts may seem gimmicky but are in fact ideal for brands in terms of audience engagement. Especially good at capturing attention to raise brand profiles, scavenger hunts can present brands as pioneers in marketing via new technology, able to deliver top-notch content to tech-savvy users and creating a fair few column inches in the process.

Working in teams connected via social media, players use services such as SCVNGR as location based gaming platform, to pick up clues. Check out how it works here.

Various brands, from fabric softeners to cars, have executed scavenger campaigns to get customers talking and interacting with via mobile devices. After all, what better way to gain deep consumer engagement than with a game?

“What we’ve learned is that when brands launch, they can get people to engage with them for 9 to 21 minutes per play,” says Chris Mahl, senior vice president of marketing at SCVNGR. “They often pull their friends in, too.”

Partnered with Google Maps, SCVNGR has over 320 million places in its database with a challenge set at each destination. Brands have the opportunity to script their own challenges, for example “find something blue” or “eat the fish dish” to gain points which can be exchanged for money off vouchers or specialised services.

Starbucks and Lady Gaga – SRCH:

Starbucks teamed up with Lady Gaga for SRCH as a digital scavenger hunt filled with puzzles and challengers for participants to win prizes provided by Polaroid. Activating various time-delayed images and clue trails, the games were leaked via a QR code that took users to the clue landing page where the game kicked off.

Starbucks and Gaga received over 300k visits and 23k game registrations were made during the three week period the campaign ran. Considering the average time for the first person to crack the clue was 21 minutes, SRCH highlights the high levels of engagement and attention currency spent on the game.

Over 20k posts talked about the game across various social channels, continuing the hype, along with media coverage from Mashable, CNN, PSFK and USA Today, all with zero paid media support.

Cathay Pacific SCVNGR Sweeps:

Cathay Pacific injected a shot of fun into the usually tedious business of flying, by introducing games linked to specific flight routes and destinations. With the chance to win 10 trips to Hong Kong for the top scores, the SCVNGR game ran at Boston, San Fransico, New York and Chicago airports.

“Travel is about getting out, seeing and doing things, and living life,” said Dennis Owen, Cathay Pacific’s vice president, marketing, Americas. “We want people to get into that spirit for this sweepstakes.”

The Gateway to China challenge required players to snap a photo of themselves at the entrance to Chicago’s Chinatown and the Comfy Seat challenged players to snap themselves in the airline’s new business class  seat on display at Terminal 3 of Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

All photo challenges and activity could then be shared via Facebook and Twitter to maximise the reach of the campaign and so friends could see what the

Back to school with Topshop and SCVNGR:

As the first UK collaboration, Topshop used SCVNGR to launch their recent student lock-in campaign in university towns with a fashionably styled digital hunt around stores. Choosing the reward they want – either 20% off in store of £500 shopping spree – customers were challenged to complete tasks including snapping a picture of their favourite ‘back to college’ outfit and linking products to trends.

“We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to engage our customers,” said Mary Homer, Managing Director of Topshop. “Following the popularity of SCVNGR in the US we wanted to offer our student customers the ability to interact with our brand, on and off-line in a more fun and engaging way.”

Chrysler Dodge ‘Search engine for the real world’:

Under the campaign heading ‘Search engine for the real world’ Chrysler Dodge has people all over the US searching for three hidden cars this September to coincide with its pitch as the Dodge Journey being the most adventurous car on the market.

Linked to YouTube, players could watch 24/7 feeds of the cars on their travels in an attempt to track down their locations. When the cars were found, players got to keep them as a huge incentive to keep playing.

Dodge Journey | Search | Commercial

Lasting just 17 days, the hunt generated over 1million YouTube views and 300,000 people watched the live feed for an average of 25 minutes.

The verdict:

As an innovative and highly engaging form of marketing, scavenger hunts present an ideal way of linking digital content with real-world objects and places. As a call to action, the hunts and challenges offer a gaming edge that can be shared across social networks across the world to attract more players and attention for the brand. With SCVNGR leading the way, expect to see more UK based brands using the location based gaming platform to create original and engaging campaigns in 2012.

Tags  challenges gamification gaming QR codes scavenger hunts social media