I just wrote an article on Mashable called "HOW TO: Gamify your marketing" that outlines what "gamification" is and some case studies and best practices for effectively applying it to your marketing programs. 

Here's an excerpt:

The scale of the audience accessible through gaming is simply staggering. In terms of potential reach, it rivals television as a medium. Yet, according to Forrester, 84% of marketers have no plans to use games in their marketing efforts.

Is this a giant missed opportunity just waiting to be seized? Or is the notion of “gamification” just one more chance for marketers to fall prey to Shiny Object Syndrome?

As with most shiny objects, the answer is “it depends.” Let’s examine the opportunities marketers have to gamify experiences.

Read the rest of the article here: HOW TO: Gamify your marketing.