How I Climbed 3 Mountains in 1 Month?

Since I trekked to Everest Base Camp in 2022, I have increased my daily walks to prepare for any expedition opportunity that comes my way. At times, I note down the distances I walked. However, I primarily relied on my watch and iPhone Health Apps to monitor the distances and weekly and monthly averages. Some days could have been better. I wanted to be happier with my distances. My hectic schedule denied me from achieving my daily target of at least walking 10,000 steps. I was looking for a tool to help me track my walks and keep me motivated.

I found one on 2 January 2023. And what timing! I was scrolling down my Instagram feed when I saw a sponsored post by the “Conqueror Virtual Challenges.” I read the post. Then, I moved on to read other posts on their Instagram. Finally, I visited the website and read most of the pages. I thought this was exactly what I needed. The founder Adam El Agez and his team nailed the Customer Experience (CX) / User Experience (UX) for this phenomenal solution. I will break it down into the following segments.

1) The Experience

User experience is critical to success with the Conqueror Virtual Challenge.  This platform offers a way to get motivated and stay physically active while enjoying a sense of accomplishment when you meet your goals.

The Conqueror Challenges are designed to give you an immersive experience while you take part in virtual challenges.  The platform gives you the tools to track your progress and challenge yourself to reach new goals.  As you take part in the challenges, you can compare your results against competitors and earn rewards.

2) The Tracking

Once you have signed up, you can begin exploring the Conqueror Challenges.  The platform provides a variety of challenges, ranging from endurance races and timed challenges to specific goals such as losing weight or completing a particular distance.  Each challenge has different difficulty levels, making it easy to customize the difficulty level to your abilities.

Once you select a challenge, you can begin by tracking your progress.  The platform offers a visual representation of the user’s progress, such as a graph showing the distance traveled.  This makes it easy for users to visualize where they are in their goal and make sure they are meeting the guidelines set for their challenge.

3) The Knowledge

As you progress in each challenge, the Conqueror sends you beautiful postcards from the trip. Beyond the postcards, you can increase your cultural knowledge about the mountain/area by reading the articles explaining the challenge’s completed leg. It is fascinating. The copywriters who wrote this are brilliant. They wrote it as if you were narrating your journey to family and friends. This is another immersive experience you get by participating in the challenges.

It would be fascinating if the Conqueror decides to take it to another level, whereby they introduce augmented reality as part of each challenge. This is doable, especially if the users exercise indoors and wear Virtual Reality (VR) sets. There are already sports companies with embedded programs that mimic famous treks like the Everest Base Camp using treadmills, cross-trainers, and steps masters. By establishing connectivity between the VR sets and the training machines, the Conqueror can achieve the highest possible level of immersion for its users.

4) The Rewards

There is no doubt that the first reward you get as a user is better health and fitness levels. With each challenge you complete on the Conqueror, you receive a physical medal with a design themed around the challenge you took. I have seen users with many proudly displayed medals in their homes or offices. The medals bring good feelings and a sense of accomplishment. And guess what?  They can be great conversation starters.

If you wish to delve more into how rewards can bring higher levels of customer engagement, I invite you to research the topic of “Gamification.” It is a fascinating field to study. I promise to publish an article about it soon.

5) The Community

The Conqueror Challenges also have a great sense of community.  Participants can interact with other users, share their progress, or give each other tips and advice.  This can be a great way to stay motivated and build a strong network of like-minded people. There is a dedicated Facebook Page for the users of the Conqueror with around 236,000 members. Getting into the Group was seamless. I asked for permission. I was prompted to enter a code, and that was it. Now, I can interact with all the members and connect with them in real life.

6) The Marketing

The marketing team of the Conqueror is super intelligent. They capitalize on the power of social media. They provide social media-ready images. Here is the breakdown:

- You sign up for the challenge and get a race bib.

- You finish a milestone, and you get a postcard.

- You finish the challenge, and you get a finisher certificate.

People like to share on social media, especially if it is something positive. This creates more awareness about Virtual Challenges. And if you study a typical CX Journey, awareness is the first step of turning a prospect into a customer.

7) The Teams

Let us assume you have friends who are spread around the world. You can have them all sign up for the same challenge – say Route 66 for a total distance of 3,669 kilometers. After that, you create a private group for all of them. The system will generate a code for joining the Group. You share the code, and now you can compete against each other. If you are a company leader who cares about your employees’ health and wellness, you could start a corporate challenge.

I am marketing an expedition to Everest Base Camp (EBC) in May 2023. When I sign up enough travelers, I will invite them to go on a virtual challenge to EBC. They will train to improve their physical condition and develop a working knowledge of the trek through the postcards and the unlock local spots feature.

8) The Environmental Impact

Over the past few years, much talk has been about ESG – Environment, Social, and Governance. The Conqueror has adopted two corporate causes that fulfill the agenda of ESG, especially the Environment & Social sides. Participating in the challenges allows you to choose between planting trees or stopping ocean plastic. With each milestone you complete – 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% & 100% - you contribute to these causes. According to the Conqueror’s website, they planted 7.6 million trees and stopped 16.9 million bottles from entering the ocean. This is a fantastic feel-good motivator for the participants.

9) The Move to Reality

The Conqueror is capitalizing on the tribe it created to market “real” expeditions under the brand “The Conqueror Adventures.” This extension is natural. By collaborating with experienced guides and expedition companies around the world and using its corporate resources, leading successful expeditions is well in reach. The Conqueror offers expeditions to Everest Base Camp, North Island & South Island in New Zealand, Inca Trai in Peru, and Amalfi Coast in Italy.

10) The Referrals

The best and most cost-effective way to acquire new customers is through referral. The Conqueror allows existing customers to spread the word and get rewarded for doing that. This is the referral link that App provided me to refer my friends to join Virtual Challenges:

https://www.theconqueror.events/r/MI836

For every two sign-ups, I receive free access to a challenge. And the signees get a 10% discount using my link. It is an excellent win-win-win tactic.

And that is how I climbed three mountains in one month – Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mount Fuji. I have also finished Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Now, I am on a mission to complete the Marathon to Athens. The user experience of the Conqueror is phenomenal. Give it a try. You have nothing to lose. And everything to gain. You will improve your health, meet new friends, and contribute to our planet’s betterment.

Here is my final note:

The Conqueror Virtual Challenge is an impressive case study of CX/UX. Emulate it. I guarantee you will enjoy increased sales, profit, and cash in the bank. You will achieve this by building your happy, super fans community.

If you enjoyed reading this article, allow me to ask you this question:

Is it a ridiculous idea to motivate your team? Of course, not. Invite me to inspire them to improve your business results.