Image with Quote

Innovative Solutions: Zamzee

Go more, get more

Zamzee is an online rewards program for young teens powered by their physical activity. To earn rewards, teens wear the Zamzee meter, a three-axis accelerometer specially calibrated to record short bursts of movement as well as vigorous activity. Physical activity recorded by the Zamzee meter powers a teen’s online account at Zamzee.com.

Activity boosts a teen’s status within Zamzee and can be converted into spendable Zamz, a virtual currency used to purchase both online and tangible rewards. Teens who use Zamzee earn recognition, the opportunity to take part in a range of online activities, and the ability to acquire things they want based on how much they move in the real world – the more you go, the more you get.

Zamzee is fun, it’s social, and it works – HopeLab research shows teens with Zamzee move around 30% more, nearly an extra marathon a month.1

Target: Sedentary Behavior in Tweens

Sedentary behavior is a key contributor to the problem of childhood obesity. HopeLab has chosen to focus on increasing physical activity in young teens (specifically 11 – 14 year olds) because:

  • Sedentary behavior is harming the health and quality of life young people
  • Regardless of weight, physical activity improves health
  • Physical activity improves mental and physical well being
  • Physical activity levels often decrease significantly in the early teen years 2

Research & Development

Randomized controlled pilot studies enrolling more than 350 young teens show that Zamzee boosts physical activity levels by approximately 30%. These studies have also informed an optimized Zamzee rewards model in which users earn points based on their personal improvement. The rewards model also combines game mechanics with online and tangible rewards to incentivize engagement. A larger research trial with young teens is planned to evaluate the long-term impact of Zamzee on activity levels and biological measures associated with long-term health outcomes.

Teens themselves have been involved in every step of the Zamzee development process, providing input on functionality and design of both the device and website. The Zamzee concept is based on the idea of a HopeLab researchers and insights from HopeLab’s Ruckus Nation idea competition and Ruckus Research interviews with tweens across the country. Product development partners have included Big Picture Innovations, Daylight Design, Experience Lab Consulting, Firefly Design, NON-OBJECT, Nuvation, Pivotal Labs, Sequence, Speck Design and Uncommon Projects.
.

How Can I Get One?

Zamzee is now available at Zamzee.com.

In 2010, HopeLab launched Zamzee as a social enterprise responsible for creating a profitable business around the Zamzee product that achieves the goal of getting large numbers of teens to be more physically active. HopeLab will partner with Zamzee in ongoing research and distribution activities to support the social mission of the product. Zamzee is actively seeking additional mission-aligned partners and investors.

If you are interested in investment and partnership opportunities with Zamzee, please email us at shout@zamzee.com.

1Data based on HopeLab research evaluating Zamzee in randomized controlled pilot studies enrolling more than 350 teens across the U.S. in trial lasting up to 12 weeks.

2Nader P, Bradley R, Houts R, McRitchie S, O’Brien M. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity from ages 9 to 15 years. (2008) JAMA, 300(3), 295-305.