Nordic Challenge «Alle laufen lang» – User Engagement Gold

In a nutshell

• Emotional connection trumps technical sophistication. Gian and Giachen work because they embody Graubünden’s identity.

• Simple mechanics foster deep motivation. Collecting kilometres, completing routes, sharing achievements – without a complex set of rules.

• Community is stronger than competition. We deliberately avoided aggressive leaderboards in favour of shared challenges.

• GPS in the Swiss mountains is challenging. Tunnels, valleys and dead spots presented us with technical hurdles.

• Gamification needs substance. What keeps users coming back time and again is not the mechanism, but the feeling.

Why traditional gaming mechanics often fail in sport

Many fitness apps rely on points, badges and leaderboards. These mechanics work well in the short term. But after a few weeks, engagement wanes. The reason: external rewards are no substitute for genuine motivation.

Graubünden Ferien wanted more. The brief was: “Make cross-country skiing more appealing.” The aim: to digitise cross-country skiing in a way that motivates people and encourages them to hit the trails regularly. Not just once, but time and time again. This required a different approach.

The problem with leaderboards

Leaderboards mainly motivate those who are already at the top. For everyone else, they tend to be off-putting. Anyone who ends up in 847th place doesn’t feel inspired. On the contrary: the feeling of inferiority is demotivating.

We therefore made a conscious decision against global rankings. Instead, we focused on shared goals. Families, clubs and groups of friends were able to tackle challenges together. That changed the whole dynamic.

The Birth of Gian and Giachen

The two ibexes weren’t Unic’s invention. They already existed as the mascots of Graubünden Ferien. But integrating them into an app was uncharted territory. Character design in apps requires particular care. We went through 15 design iterations.

The first designs were too cute. Others seemed too childish. Still others didn’t fit with the alpine identity. It was only when we conceived the ibexes as companions that everything fell into place. Gian and Giachen weren’t meant to lecture. They were meant to tag along.

The decisive moment

In a workshop with Graubünden Ferien, we tested various concepts. One approach stood out: the ibexes as virtual running partners. They comment on your progress. They cheer you on. They share in the joy of achieving your goals.

That moment was decisive. We knew: this is it. The emotional connection to familiar characters achieves what points simply cannot.

Motivating without getting on people’s nerves

Push notifications are a double-edged sword. Too many of them drive users away. Too few and the app gets forgotten. We sought to strike a balance.

Our approach: notifications only for genuine occasions. Reached a new personal goal? Gian sends his congratulations. Completed a shared challenge? Giachen joins in the celebrations. No random reminders. No ‘You haven’t been active for a while’ messages.

Fostering intrinsic motivation

Three things truly drive people: autonomy, competence and relatedness. Researchers call this self-determination theory. We put it into practice.

• Autonomy: Users set their own goals. No one dictates how many kilometres they should run.

• Competence: Every bit of progress is visible. Even small successes count.

• Connection: Shared challenges strengthen the sense of community.

Community building rather than competition

The most surprising insight came from the tests with real cross-country skiers in Davos. We had originally prioritised individual challenges. But the test participants kept asking: “Can I do this with my family?”

As a result, we developed group challenges. Community building became the core of the app. Clubs, families or groups of friends can set shared goals. The kilometres accumulated by all members are added together. That changed everything.

Sharing without pressure

Many apps pressure users into sharing on social media. Many people find this intrusive. We’ve taken a different approach. You can share your achievements, but only if you genuinely want to.

The result: those who share do so out of genuine enjoyment, not out of a sense of obligation. This makes the shared content more authentic and valuable.

GPS Tracking in Switzerland: Our Technical Reality

The mountains of Graubünden are beautiful. But they pose a challenge for GPS signals. Deep valleys block satellites. Tunnels along cross-country ski trails interrupt the connection. Dead spots are the rule rather than the exception.

This reality forced us to rethink our approach. A purely online solution simply wouldn’t work. We needed a robust strategy for challenging conditions.

Our solution: Offline tracking with synchronisation

The app records routes even without an internet connection. As soon as a signal is available again, it synchronises the data. It sounds simple. Implementing it was complex.

We had to account for scenarios that nobody thinks of at first. What happens if the device restarts during recording? How does the data behave when changing time zones? How do we avoid duplicate entries if synchronisation is interrupted?

Edge cases that nobody expects

Here’s an example: some cross-country ski trails pass through illuminated tunnels. Initially, the tunnel lighting confused the automatic brightness adjustment on some devices. This led to unexpected behaviour. Details like these take time. But they are what determine the quality.

Our User Engagement Strategy

Download figures are a vanity metric. They show how many people have installed the app, not how many actually use it. For our user engagement strategy, something else mattered: the return rate.

Which metrics really matter

We focused on three key metrics: daily active users, average session duration and return rate after 30 days. These figures showed whether the app was actually working.

The results were a pleasant surprise. The return rate was significantly higher than that of comparable fitness apps. People came back of their own accord. Not because of push notifications. But because they wanted to.

The challenge of seasonality

Cross-country skiing is a winter sport. Naturally, the app goes quiet in the summer. This places particular demands on its design. How do you keep users engaged once the season is over?

Our answer: a gentle build-up to the new season. No aggressive campaigns. Instead, timely reminders when the first snow falls. The anticipation is part of the experience.

Practical insights for your app development

The lessons learnt from this project can be applied to many other contexts. Gamification works across a wide range of industries. The fundamental principles of app development remain the same.

1. Build an emotional connection

People don’t remember scores. They remember feelings. Ask yourself: what emotion should your app evoke? Work backwards from there. For Gian and Giachen, it’s the feeling of companionship. The ibexes are like friends who join in. This creates a bond that pure game mechanics cannot achieve.

2. Foster a sense of community

Going it alone has its limits. Shared goals provide more lasting motivation. Consider how users can work together. Family groups, teams, clubs – the possibilities are endless.

3. Prioritise technical robustness

An app that fails under real-world conditions loses trust. Don’t just test in the office. Get out there. Experience what your users experience. That’s the only way to find the weak spots.

Conclusion: Gamification needs a human touch

Gold for user engagement – this award from the BOSA jury validates our approach. But the real success is evident on the cross-country trails of Graubünden. People who willingly brave the cold. Who share their progress with friends and look forward to the next season.

What we’ve learnt: Gamification isn’t a technical approach. It’s a human one. Those who understand this can create experiences that truly move people.

Would you like to develop an app that people will use more than just once? Then let’s talk about genuine motivation, beyond points and badges.

Contact for your Digital Solution

projektanfragen.ch@unic.com+41 31 560 16 16

Book an appointment

Are you keen to talk about your next project? We will be happy exchange ideas with you.