Case Study
The @duende.ba use case
4,400 emails captured in 7 days through gamified storytelling.
4,400 emails captured in 7 days through gamified storytelling.
The challenge wasn't engagement — @duende.ba's 370K community was already active. It was channeling that energy into measurable business outcomes: email capture, lead segmentation, and multi-touch attribution.
Day 1"I lost my hat! If you see it, tell me the magic word..." — Followers reply to an Instagram Story with a keyword to unlock the first collectible and receive their personal collection page link via DM.
Story Reply
Day 3–4"My important letter is missing! Only the code can unlock it..." — Followers comment a specific keyword on a reel. The system auto-DMs a link to claim the envelope collectible.
Reel Comment
Day 5–7"I can't complete my journey without my magical boots..." — The hardest action: share a reel to their own Instagram Story. This amplifies reach organically while completing the collection.
Reel ShareEach participant received a unique link to track their progress. The collection page served as a persistent engagement touchpoint, encouraging users to return and complete all three quests.
Personal collection page delivered via Instagram DM after each completed action.
Visual showcase of earned collectibles with real-time updates as items are unlocked.
Progress tracking showing completed quests and remaining challenges.
Completion rewards and community leaderboard driving competitive engagement.
2.1% email capture rate — 4x the industry standard.
Each action was slightly harder than the last — from a story reply to a comment to a share — building investment through graduated effort.
The Zeigarnik effect in action: once users earned one collectible, the incomplete collection created a psychological pull to finish all three.
Every action — replying, commenting, sharing — was native Instagram behavior. Zero friction, no external links, no app downloads required.
Users weren't performing marketing actions — they were helping a character they loved find his lost belongings. Story transformed mechanics into meaning.
With a $10,000 campaign budget and 4,400 total emails captured, the cost per email of $2.27 dramatically undercuts standard acquisition costs.
The campaign achieved engagement rates 2-6x above industry standards across every touchpoint, with story views increasing 117% over baseline.
The progressive structure naturally segmented leads by engagement depth. Users who completed all three actions demonstrated the highest brand affinity and conversion potential.
Keyword-triggered DM flows from public comments
Direct message automation from story interactions
Organic amplification through story reshares
Paid amplification feeding into the DM automation flow
Real-time engagement capture during live broadcasts