How is 2025 treating you so far? We hope it’s off to an exciting start! As you may already know, each holiday season, we launch a unique campaign to close the year on a high note and thank our customers for their continued loyalty.

This annual tradition is more than just about fun! It’s an opportunity to demonstrate how brands can leverage our platform and gamified campaigns to engage their audience while collecting valuable first-party data and zero-party data.

This year was no exception, as we introduced a brand-new interactive experience in December 2024 for our customers and prospects: Panic at the Factory.

About Panic at the Factory 

A Christmas Cluedo experience

This holiday season, we invited participants to take on the role of detectives and infiltrate North Pole Enterprises to solve a thrilling mystery: who stole Santa’s delivery itinerary? The mission was to save Christmas and earn a chance to win one of fifty €50 gift cards! 

From December 9th to 13th, customers and prospects had the opportunity to register for our Panic at the Factory event. Participants were immersed in the world of North Pole Enterprises, taking on the challenge of solving the mystery through a series of engaging missions 🎄

The Qualifio team created an outstanding Christmas game this year with a compelling storyline that kept us hooked. It’s always a pleasure to participate! Throughout the year, their team is always accessible, quick to respond, and provides top-notch service. It’s no surprise that their games reflect the impressive capabilities of their platform and their exceptional customer support.

Marie-Agnès Cuisset Digital Marketing Manager @Groupe Bayard

How it worked:

  • 5 days of adventurous missions
  • 5 unique campaigns, each tied to a different room in North Pole Enterprises, unlocking a new clue and points
  • 3 bonus clues, available in exchange for points earned during the campaigns
  • 1 voting campaign for players to guess the culprit and attempt to solve the mystery
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A game embedded within a reward program

Why did we choose to incorporate the game into a reward program? The answer is simple: we wanted to create a fully immersive experience while ensuring a seamless user experience.

We’ve been running this end-of-year campaign for four years and each time, it’s incredibly rewarding to see how our customers engage with it. It sparks new ideas for how they can use Qualifio with their own audiences. In the end, that’s what we’re aiming for: to provide a fun experience while demonstrating how our platform can help them meet their engagement and data collection objectives.

Anastasia Babatzikis Head of Marketing @Qualifio

Participants could easily register using their Google account or Qualifio login, allowing seamless access to their portal and the campaigns without needing to log in repeatedly. 

On their portal, participants could access a series of information, such as:

  • Their points total 
  • The leaderboard, showing current rank and the top positions 
  • A “reward catalogue featuring three bonus clues in this case to help solve the mystery
  • Their transaction history to let them know how they earned points 
  • A section explaining how they can earn more points 

Panic at the Factory players had multiple ways to earn points and unlock the bonus clues. In addition to the points earned through the daily campaigns (some based on performance), members also received points for registering in the reward program or as a benefit of being a Qualifio user. Finally, players could boost their points by referring a colleague to join the game.

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Key results and insights

It is now the time to share the results of our Panic at the Factory adventure! The response has been incredible, and the least we can say is that we couldn’t be more thrilled by the enthusiasm and feedback. In just 5 days, this program has generated: 

  • 316 members
  • 1,536 participations in the campaigns
  • 60,000+ points earned
  • All 50 gift cards redeemed

Are you curious about our Panic at the Factory adventure? Do you want to try to solve the mystery? You’re in luck – you can still play and find the culprit! While the gift cards are already gone, there’s still plenty of fun challenges to enjoy 🥳

Solve the mystery now

If you’d like to explore the details of the campaigns included in the game, keep reading; we have all the info below!

About the formats used 

1. The kitchen: swap & match

Players were invited to enter the North Pole Enterprises kitchen on the first day to start their investigation. Their mission? Participating in a swap & match game to find their first clue. The goal was to swipe the cookies and create as many lines of three or more as possible in 45 seconds (the number of points earned depending on their final score).

The swap & match is part of our advanced formats add-on, an extension to your current license that provides you with the ability to create fully customised and engaging arcade games without needing coding skills. It’s also an excellent tool for brands to engage their audience while increasing the time spent on their digital platforms.

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2. Santa Claus’ office: riddle quiz 

On day two, the detectives entered Santa’s office to uncover their next clue. Their task? Solve a riddle to unlock Santa’s computer. The riddle was designed using our quiz format, combining an image and text with an instant answer check field for participants to add their answers.

The quiz format remains a crowd favourite for brands’ marketing strategies as it offers a limitless amount of possibilities. Moreover, its potential goes beyond traditional quizzes, as it is an essential part of campaigns like escape games.

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3. The workshop: hidden object

On the third day, players had to explore the elves’ workshop and repair the toy-making machine to unlock their third clue. To achieve this, the detectives needed to find the relevant tools by participating in a hidden object campaign.

Once again, this campaign was crafted using our flexible quiz format combined with instant check answers. Alternatively, you could achieve a similar experience by leveraging our dedicated hidden object format. Both options offer the same number of possibilities, depending on personal preference.

Hidden object formats provide a fantastic opportunity for brands to spotlight their products, as participants focus more on a single image. This extended engagement not only enhances product visibility but also offers a creative and interactive way to collect valuable data.

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4. The warehouse: puzzle

On the fourth day, the investigation led the detectives to the warehouse, where they discovered suspicious scraps of paper. Realising someone had torn a note into pieces, their task was to solve the puzzle to find their next clue. 

Puzzles can be a very efficient method to engage your audience, offering them a fun moment in their day. To boost participation, add an incentive, such as the chance to win exciting prizes like discounts or vouchers for your products. Remember to include a compelling CTA on the exit screen, seamlessly redirecting participants to your website and encouraging further engagement.

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5. The lounge room: quiz 

On the final day, members of the Panic at the Factory adventure had access to the lounge room, where they were challenged to complete a classic Christmas-themed quiz to access the last clue. 

Multiple-choice quizzes remain one of the most reliable tools for boosting engagement and collecting data, as their simplicity makes it easy for participants to engage, requiring minimal effort. 

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Now that you know everything about the making of the Panic at the Factory experience, take the opportunity to try the game yourself and be inspired for your next campaign! 

And if you’re stuck or need help, our amazing Studio team is just a message away, ready to collaborate with you and bring your ideas to life.

Are you looking for more campaign ideas? Check out our 2023 Qualifio Quizmas Quest for some extra inspiration. If you want to explore the full potential of our platform, reach out for a personalised demo!