If you’ve paid any attention to the news feed over the past two weeks you’ve no doubt noticed the global mania over Pokemon Go. By last count, more than 50 million people had downloaded the game, a figure expected to rise manifold as it achieves critical mass.
Pokemon Go has brought both reward and headache for Nintendo, whose share price has been at the mercy of speculation about how much profit the game will actually bring to the company and its investors.
If you’re in marketing, Pokemon Go offers a lot of valuable lessons and strategies for reaching local markets. To understand why, it’s important to say a few words about how the game actually operates so let’s take a look – Local is Better: How Marketers Can Use PokemonGo Mania
What is Pokemon Go?
Pokemon Go is a GPS location-based mobile game that uses augmented reality to deliver a unique end-user experience. As marketers, we are always looking to go local, even though the tools (and cost) for doing so aren’t always doable. Pokemon Go potentially changes all that.
What Are PokeStops?
The game includes interesting little places called PokeStops, where players can stock up on accessories and other tools needed in the game. These virtual locations are actually paired with real word locations that could be anything – a public park, a restaurant or perhaps something more relevant to your line of business.
PokeStops have been associated with a surge in foot traffic. Pretty soon, marketers will be able to use this wonderful little game to attract players to their location. Niantec, the company that developed the game with Nintendo, has already announced it would do just that through “sponsored locations,” where businesses will be able to make their own PokeStops.. This could be great for marketers who can cash in via social media check-ins, promotions, photos and of course general sales.
What About The Data?
The potential marketing revolution doesn’t end there. The power of gamification also means that you have tens of millions of users willing to share their data with you. Now you have even more insights about the people you are selling to (this may require some big data analytics, but we’ll leave that to another discussion).
Through this medium, you suddenly have access to a huge market, allowing you to run special promotions and use certain hashtags at specific locations. Who knows, you may even find additional content angles for your other products and services through Pokemon Go or similar apps. Through gamification and augmented reality, the opportunities are literally endless.
What’s Next For Pokemon Go?
Keep in mind that many tech geeks and game enthusiasts have panned Pokemon Go for its disappointing graphics and customer support. I’d recommend you not to lose the forest for the trees. The game will likely see massive upgrades as time goes on. After all, we’ve seen more than 50 million downloads in less than three weeks! With augmented reality and location-based gaming, we may be witnessing another evolution in technology that marketers simply should not pass up.
Just like checkins, PokemonGo could be an ideal opportunity for local businesses like cafes, book stores, retailers and leisure hotspots.
Will you be using PokemonGo in your marketing? Tweet me @Charli_Says and let me know.
Sources
[1] Michael Crider (July 24, 2016). “Pokemon GO lands in France and passes 50 million Play Store downloads.” Android Police.
[2] Brian Smith (July 22, 2016). “Pokemon Go, augmented reality and the future of local marketing.” Searchengineland.com.