One of the things I really dislike is people not arriving on time. It is that terrible pet peeve that haunts me daily. If you say you’ll be somewhere at 3pm be there at 2 minutes to 3. There is no excuse for being late.
Unfortunately, my pet peeve is also my Achilles heel. Because of my dislike of late comers, I have a tendency to over prep for meetings or appointments. If a navigation app tells me it will take x amount of time to get somewhere I have a bad habit of adding 20 minutes to x. It means I pitch up far too early to everything.
I’ve spent numerous minutes entertaining myself in a car park because while being late should be frowned upon, walking in to a waiting room 20 to 30 minutes before is even worse.
Never play mobile games and drive. I’m encouraging using these apps in a STATIONARY VEHICLE!
A few years back The Guardian released a study indicating that 52% of gamers were women. While the industry may have collectively gasped, the truth is that with the rise of mobile gaming it should have come as no surprise. When I’m whittling away those 20 minutes in my car I’m usually playing a mobile game.
I think moms are likely doing the same while waiting at the school gates.
I’m rather lucky that I now get to spend some time in London regularly and riding the tube proves my point further. Most of the commuters below the ages of 35 are on their mobile phones clicking away at games (because signal in the tube is non existent). I’m constantly on the lookout for new games to play and kill my dead time between meetings.
Which is why I was intrigued by TonPlayGo.
TonPlayGo is a mobile trivia game developed by South Africans for South Africans. It’s a clever mix of fun trivia with real world prizes. When you open the app you’re greeted by the option to play, swag, bag or brag. The concept is relatively simple. You’re able to browse through swag to discover funky new products and brands. You can then tag items you’re interested in. The selection of items ranges from bespoke gym wear from Lorna Jane to funky gadget accessories from iToys (my favourites to tag!). Once you’ve tagged items they’re stored for you to return to at any time. You can then choose to bag the items. Once you do this they’re stored in your bag and you stand a chance to win them each week by playing the trivia quizzes.
When you choose to play the online quizzes and puzzles you can select from three options:
Sport
Pop Culture
Puzzle Me
I’m hoping they add more selections soon. Once you start playing you’re faced with trivia questions and have to answer some in a specific time. You play to increase your score. Other users are doing the same and there is an overall leaderboard each week showing where you sit.
Each week various prizes become available and, if you’ve bagged them, and your score is sufficient, you could win them.
I like the idea behind TonPlayGo. You’re not just mindlessly clicking at a keyboard to waste time but rather competing to take home some great prizes. If you see an item in game that you may want to purchase the app also directs you to the best way to get your hands on it.
It is still a new app and sometimes is a bit slow on navigating outside of the quiz section as well as tag and bag but the design is clean and easy to navigate. I love browsing through items to tag and add to my bag. I’ve already seen a few goodies I’m desperate to get my hands on and will potentially win.
The marketer in me also finds TonPlayGo intriguing.
The app allows brands to feature products that players can tag and bag in the swag section. It’s a clever way to introduce new products to the potential target audience and also get a feel for whether they like them or not. I’m sure, as a brand, you’d have access to the numbers of people tagging and bagging your merchandise (or making a direct purchase). A great tool for market research and you’re giving back to your target market by awarding prizes. Clever!
If you want to give TonPlayGo a try (and you should!). It is available for iOS and Android. The links to download are below. Let me know once you’re loaded and playing. Let’s see if you can beat my Tech Girl trivia skills?
