Vivecoach has launched a web- and mobile-based wellness challenge application to help companies engage employees in improving their health and well-being. Noting that gaming is rapidly evolving and changing the way people live all aspects of their lives, the company says its app brings gaming to productive use in the workplace, in the form of wellness challenges and competitions.

Vivecoach is a web-based application that also works on iOS and Android, and via text messaging on feature phones. It requires no integration with existing data systems and can be customized to meet the needs of each client.

Some examples of Vivecoach challenges include weight loss, walking (steps using pedometers), minutes of exercise, nutrition, and ‘Cold Turkey’ challenges, where participants give up things like dessert or junk food for a week at a time. 

Vivecoach challenges incorporate gaming mechanics that make it rewarding and fun for individuals to participate: Challenge Walls for social engagement; real-time Leaderboards to spur competitive spirit’ social and tangible rewards; and a Personal Achievements section, where people can be recognized for their progress, earn points and badges, and share their challenge successes on Facebook.

Corporations can drive employee engagement by linking challenges to corporate culture, teaming, and community building. Vivecoach says the challenges are easy to customize and deploy. They can be launched company-wide, or for any size employee group. Employee can also create their own challenges and invite colleagues to join, with the viral nature of the challenges driving high levels of engagement.

To date, says Vivecoach, many corporations that have invested in wellness programs have seen decreases in absenteeism and medical costs, but overall employee engagement and effects on the bottom have remained low. “Companies have been trying to find the silver bullet for engagement and resulting behaviour change, and have so far been unsuccessful.” says co-founder and CEO, Doug Keare. “The only thing way to make it work is to tap into employee interests and make it fun.”

Vivecoach is currently deployed in leading Silicon Valley companies and is selling its service into companies with 1000 or more employees. Pricing is on a per-employee-per-month basis, with rates based on the size of the employee population. Vivecoach also covers dependents for free.