Social Exchange Matrix
| Exchange Aspect |
Value Offered |
Cost/Barrier Addressed |
| Behaviour Change |
Encourage responsible spending on loot boxes and promote awareness of potential risks. |
Reduces impulse buying and potential regret or guilt from overspending on loot boxes. |
| Psychological Gain |
Empowers users with better self-regulation and control over gaming habits, reducing FOMO and impulse purchases. |
Reduces the perceived loss of prestige or advantage that might come from not buying loot boxes. |
| Social Benefit |
Creates a community of like-minded players who prioritize responsible gaming and manage gaming expenses wisely. |
Addresses the fear of “missing out” on exclusive items, as the campaign focuses on building a community rather than individual purchase status. |
| Financial Gain |
Saves money and reduces financial risks by encouraging budgeting for in-game purchases and using tools that track spending. |
Reduces the risk of financial strain and allows for more budgeting control. |
Positioning Statement and Value Proposition
Based on the social exchange matrix and campaign objectives, we formalized the following as our positioning statement.
"For young adult gamers who enjoy the thrill of loot boxes, our campaign, “Play Smart, Play Safe”, promotes mindful and responsible spending by providing easy tools and insights for better self-regulation. We position responsible gaming as a path to financial control and social empowerment within the gaming community."
Our campaign will be primarily Behaviour and Barrier focused.
The campaign will empower users and foster a community-driven movement for responsible gaming by focusing on self-regulation and collective awareness:
- Peer-to-Peer Education: Distribute educational content within gaming communities, sharing insights about loot boxes' psychological and financial effects, helping users make informed choices together.
- Community Accountability: Encourage users to set personal goals around spending habits, with community-driven challenges and rewards for responsible gaming behaviours.
- Mutual Support Network: Establish an online community where users can openly discuss experiences, offer encouragement, and share strategies to reduce impulse spending.
This campaign positions responsible gaming as a source of empowerment and self-respect within the community, showing users that by working together, they can enjoy gaming without financial stress or FOMO.
Intervention Matrix
| Intervention Type |
Description |
Approach |
| Inform/Communicate |
Raise awareness among young adult gamers about the financial and emotional risks of loot boxes. |
Approach: Run targeted social media campaigns with infographics, video content, and testimonials.
Activities: Create posts and stories highlighting the potential impact of loot boxes on finances and mental well-being. Use influencers to share messages about mindful gaming and responsible spending. Launch "Did You Know?" posts, dispelling myths about loot boxes and emphasizing control over spending. |
| Educate/Engage |
Provide interactive resources to engage users in learning about the risks of loot boxes and fostering healthy habits. |
Approach: Create educational content in partnership with gaming communities to engage users in meaningful ways.
Activities: Develop a micro-site or app offering interactive content, such as quizzes, self-assessment tools, and guides on impulse control. Host Q&A sessions or webinars on managing loot box spending habits with mental health advocates or financial wellness experts. Offer downloadable budget planners and spending trackers for personal use. |
| Support/Service |
Offer ongoing support and resources that enable users to stay accountable and motivated in their spending goals. |
Approach: Provide tools and community-based support that empower gamers to maintain responsible spending.
Activities: Set up a "Commitment Wall" on social media where users pledge their goals for loot box spending, with follow-up support posts. Offer templates and guides for setting monthly spending limits on in-game purchases. Create an "Accountability Challenge" where users can track and share their progress toward spending goals with peers. |
| Design |
Design community-focused programs that align with the gaming culture and motivate self-regulation as a shared value. |
Approach: Develop visually engaging resources and gamified elements to appeal to the gaming mindset.
Activities: Design a badge or reward system for users who actively engage in responsible gaming and spending. Develop community leaderboards where users can showcase their commitment to responsible gaming. Use appealing graphics and gaming-inspired language to encourage adoption of budgeting tools. |
Journey Map
To create a journey map for encouraging responsible lootbox behaviour, we outlined the user’s journey through the Stages of Change Model, from awareness to maintenance. Along this journey, key intervention points address the user’s needs, motivations, and barriers to promote a sustained behaviour change.
| Stage |
User Mindset & Actions |
Interventions & Marketing Tools |
| Pre-contemplation |
User Mindset: The user sees no issue with their lootbox spending and enjoys the excitement of chance-based rewards.
Actions: Engages in lootbox purchases without thought about financial impact or long-term consequences. |
Inform/Communicate: Launch awareness-raising social media posts and videos across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, presenting the risks associated with lootboxes, such as FOMO and financial strain.
Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with influencers to discuss personal experiences and mindful gaming habits, making users aware of the potential downside of unchecked loot box purchases. |
| Contemplation |
User Mindset: The user becomes aware of the potential drawbacks of loot boxes but is uncertain about changing habits.
Actions: Begins to think about the financial costs and emotional toll of impulsive spending but feels reluctant to act. |
Educate/Engage: Launch interactive resources, such as an app or micro-site with self-assessment quizzes that reveal users’ spending patterns.
Supportive Content: Host Q&A sessions on Discord with mental health experts, offering practical advice on managing gaming expenses and controlling impulsive behaviour. |
| Preparation |
User Mindset: User is ready to change behaviour and explores steps to reduce spending on loot boxes.
Actions: Seeks resources, considers budgeting, and talks to others about responsible gaming practices. |
Support/Service: Provide a budgeting template and spending tracker within the app, helping users set personalized monthly budgets.
Accountability Programs: Introduce the “Commitment Wall” on social media, where users publicly pledge to adopt specific limits on loot box purchases. |
| Action |
User Mindset: The user actively limits loot box spending, reducing purchases or setting monthly limits.
Actions: Uses budgeting tools, tracks spending, and engages in community challenges to reinforce responsible spending. |
Community Challenges: Launch the “Spend-Check Challenge,” where users compete to stick to self-set limits and share their progress with peers.
Rewards and Recognition: Gamify the behaviour change by offering rewards (e.g., badges) for meeting monthly goals, showcasing their achievement on community leaderboards. |
| Maintenance |
User Mindset: User has successfully reduced spending and adopted self-regulation as a regular practice.
Actions: Continues to monitor spending habits and encourages others to consider responsible gaming practices. |
Ongoing Community Support: Foster a supportive network through a dedicated Discord server where users share tips and celebrate milestones.
Educational Reinforcement: Regularly post updated content on the impact of responsible spending, providing users with insights on how they can inspire others to adopt healthier gaming behaviours.
Feedback Loops: Conduct regular in-app surveys to gather feedback on self-regulation tools and offer suggestions for further refinement based on user input. |
