TIM BLABLAMETER

In 2010 we helped TIM launch TIMbeta, the first pre-paid phone plan created for teens, by teens, through their social networks. There were so many requests for SIM cards, #TIMbeta became a trending topic in Brazil.

In 2012, TIM came to us with a simple request: Top that.

Enter the Blablameter, a game designed to get kids to use their phones more by challenging them to demonstrate their social media influence. The more you share, the higher you score, and the more rewards you get. The game puts the spark of competition and exclusivity in a behavior that teens are already engaging in everyday. And by playing the game, teens promote the brand to their friends.

TIM, one of the largest mobile carriers in Brazil, found success with TIMbeta, its first ever phone plan designed for teens, by teens, TIM Beta. Since teens are always trying new things, ready to dive into whatever’s next, TIM had to keep innovating to keep them interested. The Blablameter gamifies something that teens are already doing, and in a way that could only come from TIM.

We understood that kids are always competing with each other to see who has more followers, the most likes, etc. We created a game that helps to actually measure this social capital. No more empty bragging.

Our unique algorithm values the most influential people. It finds them not just by recognizing volume, but value. Since a Mayorship on FourSquare is more valuable than a simple check-in, Blablameter rewards it accordingly.

In the first round alone, users racked up over 10,000 thousand points. And 80% of TIMbeta customers have registered for the game. Plan usage has increased 60%, generating revenue per customer twice the market average.

But we really knew we were onto something when blogs offering Blablameter tips and tricks started popping up spontaneously. TIM was connecting with thousands of young influencers and incentivizing them to promote the brand every day.

Here’s how it works: Users, called Betas, register their phone number and connect their social networks to the website to start scoring.

Calling friends earns you points. Chatting by text, checking in at a cafe, or – better yet – checking in AND tweeting there – earns you even more. If your followers retweet you, your points double.

At the end of each round, the players with the highest scores earn privileges like reduced rates, the right to send SIM cards to friends, and invitations to participate in exclusive TIM BETA events.

The game playfully integrates the ways that teens already brag about their social media influence, and rewards them with special perks in their plan.