2.4.1 Elements of a VSN platform

The survey of the most popular VSNs, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest, intuitively shows several common elements that are related both to social dynamics and to the theme proposed for each VSN. Among these elements, it stands out:


### 2.4.2 VSN in support to social causes

It is noteworthy requests to support social causes, campaigns (September yellow, October pink, November blue, vaccination), blood donation [37], financial support to charities, animal adoption campaign, and others, in VSN publications [38]. Publications have a remarkable power to raise awareness, as they are a

#### BloodHero: The Power of Gamification in Social Habit DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84140

platform for the use of appealing strategies, and awaken the emotional side of many users, especially cause activists.

According to Navarro [39], the use of VSN for the support of entities on community issues is growing, because the young public is largely connected to VSN and a significant proportion, 54% according to Lynx [40], believe that the responsibility to solve social problems belongs to everyone who owns the networks. Linked to this, some companies take advantage from the VSN, according to [38], founder of Curtida. Social—start-up that unites companies to community issues in RSV, entities that support social campaigns obtain immediate results, besides having the brand linked for a long time to the supported actions.

#### 2.4.3 VSN in support to blood donation

Empathy on the subject makes many individuals, who are part of VSN, especially those with a broader subject and usually with a large user base, such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, use their resources to promote the cause. It is common to see, in these networks, shared messages requesting donation, supporting publicity pages, and profiles for blood donation.

Not very evidenced, there are VSNs, or services for VSNs, which explore more directly this issue. Among them, "Salve Mais Um" [41] is a VSN that was born from the observation of a patient's difficulty in finding blood donors and the reach of VSNs in social issues. "Salve Mais Um" interfaces people who are in need of donation and social networks, so donors are encouraged to donate by getting to know the patients.

#### 2.5 Gamification

environment. It is a dynamic, nonlinear, flexible, self-organized, and decentralized

Given their characteristics, social networks are environments where the sharing

The survey of the most popular VSNs, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn,

YouTube, and Pinterest, intuitively shows several common elements that are related both to social dynamics and to the theme proposed for each VSN. Among

• The profile—It is the space destined to identify a user for the virtual community, usually contains the relevant information of the user to the interested public, where the most common are name, photograph, date of birth, e-mail, and city, but also, according to the topic covered and the consent

by the user, there may be more personal, professional, and educational

• Tags—They are keywords that produce a common connection between

• Interaction buttons—These are the key points for dissemination and

simultaneously, which can be public or private to the participants.

this one disagreeing with the main theme of a VSN.

being usually informed to the user by the user application.

identify a relevant subject or a notable person on the subject.

VSN or in other virtual environments.

2.4.2 VSN in support to social causes

198

publications or a reference to the user. Typically, publications are included to

thermometer of relevance of the subject of the publication. The buttons are used mainly for evaluation, discursion, and propagation of publications in the

• Chat—It is the place where two or more users can exchange instant messages,

• Groups—They are user group formations that have a common interest, even

• Notifications—It is the registration system about activities involving the user. They are usually invitations for new friends/followers, interaction with user publications, invitation to any event, direct messages, and updates in the chat,

It is noteworthy requests to support social causes, campaigns (September yellow, October pink, November blue, vaccination), blood donation [37], financial support to charities, animal adoption campaign, and others, in VSN publications [38]. Publications have a remarkable power to raise awareness, as they are a

• Publication—This is the element where some subject will be presented on the subject of VSN. It is one of the main activities for user interaction. They can use various media or even the set of them in their display. Generally, they are produced by VSN users and have common characteristics, such as subject text, date and time of publication, media (image or video), and interaction buttons.

environment, established by egalitarian cooperative relationships.

Interactive Multimedia - Multimedia Production and Digital Storytelling

of information and knowledge works consistently.

2.4.1 Elements of a VSN platform

these elements, it stands out:

information.

One of the methodologies that has been gaining notoriety is gamification. It is defined as the use of game dynamics to motivate actions that are often difficult to achieve, such as learning, engaging people, and problem solving [42]. As the basic principle of gamification is having fun, the method allows a remarkable experience, and its playful form turns, what was not attractive to the most, in a single moment. All this implies a greater participation of users and collaborators [43].

Gambling can be implemented in a variety of ways; according to Webster and Watson [44], games can be based on points, classifications, achievements/icons, levels, history, goals, feedback, rewards, progress, and/or challenges. These rewards make users of the platform, to which gamification has been implemented, reinteract again. Hamari et al.'s review [42], about the efficiency of gamification, shows that this methodology yields positive results both in behavior and in the psychology of individuals.

According to Almeida [43], the success of gamification is due to the experience that the user has beyond the acquisition of the product. Strategy turns gaming into a strong brand-customer relationship strong enough to keep them loyal.

#### 2.5.1 Types of players

According to Zichermann [45], the more you get to know your players, the easier is to model an experience that will guide their behaviors along the path you want. Bartle [46] classifies players into four main types, such as socializers, explorers, achievers, and killers:

• Socializers are players interested in relating to others, characterized by having the goals of prestige only by interaction between players.

The gamification, in the context of health, has been beneficial in several areas,

The gamification, in the BloodHero, is the core of the differential that it presents. Every action taken on the application results in points to the user, that is, from each donation of blood, each acquired point becomes the currency of exchange for benefits and products presented within the application.

At BloodHero, the concept of social networking and gamification comes together

Gambling brings a new range of benefits to the user, among them the exchange

The application was proposed in order to guarantee a great commitment of the users. The bibliographic research, data observed in visits to blood centers, statistical analyzes of sites of some institutions, and mobile applications that use gamification,

to produce a new tool linked to blood donation. The social network applied to BloodHero serves as a channel for publicizing the project, the history of patients who need donors, brands that link themselves to social causes, such as blood dona-

of points for products. The adoption of rewarding the user with points for the actions taken throughout the application brings engagement and fidelity to the use

were the pieces of information taken into account for the production of the

The visits to blood centers aimed at understanding the profile of new and veteran donors and strategies for donor acquisition. Psychologists responsible for the donor acquisition sectors in "Hemominas," the public blood center of Minas Gerais, Ana Carolina Ferreira, and the "Hemoservice," the private blood center of Belo Horizonte, Cinara Sá de Araújo, were prepared to answer doubts about the motivation of the donors, about donation incentive programs, recurrent campaigns

In the analysis of institutions, it was researched sites of 20 institutions, which include target audiences, between 16 and 30 years old, in different segments: McDonalds, Chiquinho, Hemonorte, Hemominas, Hemoservice, Hering, Lacoste, Adidas, Nike, CVC, Blue, Gamestation, Amazing Pixel, Netflix, TelecineNow, Cinemark, UCI Cinemas, Rastapé, Pink Elephant, Samsung, and Apple. The model of interaction with users and information about the corporation were transcribed. Additionally, the analysis of web and mobile applications was carried out with eight mobile applications, related to the theme "blood donation," "Hemoliga," "DoeSempre," Blood 24/7, blood donor, "Partiu Doar Sangue," "Eu curto doar," Hemogram, and Doe Blood Mobile, with the aim of quantifying systems and veri-

It also analyzed 12 web and mobile game applications and some other apps that

use gamification: Asked [28]; FlappyBird [29]; Fruit Ninja [30]; HayDay [31]; Pokemon GO [32]; Angry Birds [33]; PasseiDireto; Skoob [34]; Icatu Insurances, "vivendoeAprendendo" [35]; Nike [48], NikePlus [48]; Google Maps [25]; and Cartola FC [36]. It analyzed the characteristics in common of games and how they

and costs involved, and the entire process from donation to transfusion.

fying methods and philosophies in common.

are arranged to the players.

201

tion, and various other pieces of information related to this topic.

being one of them its use in the development of new treatment tools for both

children and adults [47].

of the app.

proposed app.

3.1 Data acquisition

3. The BloodHero application

BloodHero: The Power of Gamification in Social Habit DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84140

