By Junaid Imdad, Blogger & Digital Experience Strategist
Not long ago, the most exciting thing you could do in an email was bold your subject line or maybe add a GIF. Fast forward to 2025, and the digital marketing landscape has evolved so rapidly that your email inbox can now feel like an app with clickable games, quizzes, shopping carts, and personalized journeys, all without leaving the email itself.
This isn’t just some marketing gimmick or a fleeting trend. Interactive emails and gamified campaigns are redefining the way brands engage with their audiences. And if you’re not already using them, now’s the time to start paying attention.
Let’s dive into why interactive emails and gamification are taking center stage in digital marketing, how they work, and what you need to do to stay ahead of the curve.
What Are Interactive Emails?
Interactive emails are emails that allow recipients to engage with content directly inside the email, without having to click through to a separate webpage. Think of it as giving your subscribers the ability to:
- Fill out a survey
- Spin a digital wheel
- Flip a card to reveal a discount
- Slide through a product gallery
- Take a personality quiz
Right inside their inbox.
These features are powered by HTML and CSS advancements supported by major email clients like Gmail, Apple Mail, and Outlook (to some extent). While not every interaction is supported by every platform, developers have found creative fallback solutions to ensure experiences remain smooth across devices.
Gamification in Email Marketing: What Does It Mean?
Gamification means adding game-like elements into your marketing strategy. When applied to emails, it turns a boring open-and-read message into something fun, unexpected, and sticky.
Here are some real-world examples:
- Spin-to-win wheels offering discounts
- Scratch cards revealing mystery rewards
- Trivia questions with prizes for correct answers
- Progress bars for loyalty rewards
- Countdowns to encourage urgency and participation
It’s not about turning your marketing strategy into an actual video game. It’s about incorporating mechanics that motivate, entertain, and encourage action.
Why Interactive and Gamified Emails Work So Well
There’s a simple reason why these types of emails are outperforming traditional campaigns: they create micro-engagement moments.
Here’s what that means:
1. Higher Engagement Rates
People are naturally curious and love being part of an experience. When your email offers something to do rather than just something to read, they stay longer, interact more, and are more likely to click through to your offer.
2. Improved Click-Through Rates
According to a recent study by Litmus, interactive emails can boost click-to-open rates by up to 73%. Why? Because users aren’t just passive, they’re involved. Clicking becomes part of the fun, not just a step toward a product.
3. Increased Brand Affinity
Fun experiences stick. If you’re the brand that gave someone a 15% discount through a trivia game or congratulated them with confetti for opening your message, you’ve just built a positive emotional association.
4. Data Collection with Consent
Interactive features like quizzes and polls can help you learn more about your audience’s preferences, habits, and interests. All while making it feel like
Examples of Brands Doing It Right
1. Sephora
Sephora has incorporated product carousels and rating systems directly into their emails, letting users browse and interact without leaving their inbox.
2. Domino’s
A campaign called “Pizza Hero” let users build their dream pizza inside the email and save it for ordering. Gamified and delicious.
3. Virgin Holidays
Virgin used a scratch-to-win feature in an email campaign where users could win discounts on vacation packages. It doubled their average engagement rates.
How to Create Interactive or Gamified Emails (Even on a Budget)
You might think this kind of email marketing is only for big brands with big development teams. Not true. Today, even small businesses and solo marketers can build interactive campaigns using tools like:
You don’t even need code for many of these platforms. Many templates offer scratch cards, quiz forms, sliders, and more all pre-built.
Tips for Getting Started
1. Start Small
You don’t need to launch a fully interactive quiz on day one. Try something simple like:
- A poll asking for user feedback
- A carousel showcasing new arrivals
- A countdown timer for a flash sale
2. Make Sure It Works Everywhere
Test your interactive elements across multiple devices and email clients. Always provide fallback versions for less supported platforms. For example, if your spin wheel doesn’t work in Outlook, make sure the user still sees a clickable CTA.
3. Align with Your Goals
Every interactive element should serve a purpose. Whether it’s to increase sales, collect feedback, or boost retention, keep your end goal in mind and design accordingly.
4. Measure and Optimize
Track open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. But also track interaction rates—how many people actually used the gamified feature. This will help you refine and evolve.
Are There Any Downsides?
While interactive and gamified emails are exciting, they come with a few caveats:
- Complexity: Some elements require extra coding and testing.
- Rendering Issues: Not all email clients support interactivity equally.
- Overuse: Just like pop-ups, too much gamification can feel gimmicky.
That said, when done right, the pros far outweigh the cons.
The Future: What’s Coming Next?
In 2025, we’re just scratching the surface.
Expect to see:
- AI-generated personalized games based on user data
- AR previews within emails (e.g., try on a product in your inbox)
- Voice-controlled emails integrated with smart assistants
- Story-based email experiences, similar to Instagram Stories
Imagine an email campaign that feels like a choose-your-own-adventure novel. That’s the direction we’re heading.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Get Left Behind
Interactive emails and gamified campaigns aren’t “nice-to-have” anymore. They’re becoming an essential part of modern digital marketing.
Want to know about gamification for SEO, click on it.
In a world where attention spans are short and inboxes are flooded, giving your audience something worth interacting with is the ultimate competitive edge.
So whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, part of a marketing team, or running a growing brand. now’s the time to rethink your email strategy. Because in 2025 and beyond, emails are no longer static, they’re an experience.
Have you experimented with interactive or gamified emails yet?
Let me know in the comments or reach out. I’d love to hear how it worked for you or brainstorm new ideas together.
Junaid Imdad, Blogger & Digital Experience Strategist
