When entire countries and even the security services deploy it, you have to ask yourself what gamification really is. Memorably described as ‘when video games and business have a baby’, it is the process of applying the psychological and entertaining aspects of game-playing to other activities to make them more fun, increase engagement and improve results. In this edition of The Point (see Rules of the game), we analyse how savvy businesses are using gamification to drive customer loyalty and even influence behaviour – and ask whether its powerful appeal might also have a darker side.

 

The rise of the sharing economy continues apace, even though a deadly pandemic seems to have undercut the sector’s core proposition. We examine how businesses in this industry can overcome some of the obstacles they face and seek out fresh opportunities in a post-Covid world (see In sharing we trust).

 

Until recently, mental resilience was seldom discussed or even recognised as an issue in the workplace. Wind forward to today, and there is an increasing awareness that firms need to acknowledge and understand it for the good of their employees and their business. That’s why in Silent epidemic, The Point tries to assess the scale of the issue and learn how forward-looking companies are working through it.

 

In this edition, we are also profiling the chairman of one of our fastest-growing consumer companies – Patrik Nilsson of functional drinks and food group Vitamin Well. A champion ice-hockey player in his youth, he opted for a career in business, eventually heading Adidas in the Nordic region and the US, before becoming CEO of Gant and then chairman of Vitamin Well. It’s a fascinating story with some interesting insights about team motivation (see A good sport).

 

Since our last edition, Bridgepoint has been busy, making investments in Swiss cybersecurity specialist Infinigate, US fruit genetics pioneer Sun World, UK digital marketing agency IDHL, Swedish medical dermatology services provider Diagnostiskt Centrum Hud and UK pharma and biotech advisory firm Prescient. We also successfully exited our investment in Calypso Technology in the US, one of the foremost providers of software to the global capital markets industry (see Ins & outs). 

 

We hope you enjoy this edition of The Point. As always, we welcome your feedback via thepoint@bridgepoint.eu.

​

Enjoy this edition n

 

​

​

​

William Jackson

is managing partner

of Bridgepoint