Pokémon Go is Pushing Businesses to Revisit Their Marketing Calendar
Pokémon Go is affecting traffic.
This guy left his car to join the hunt for a Vaporeon. #PokemonGo https://t.co/pGueHyn0DC
— BBC Newsbeat (@BBCNewsbeat) July 17, 2016
The UK walking to work today#PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/b87ADZiFsX — Matt Navarra ⭐️ (@MattNavarra) July 14, 2016
People are getting tickets because of Pokémon Go.
So this Just happened… #PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/PWZRxXHtcv
— Ismail Amen (@bigish41) July 14, 2016
And it is affecting their work as well.
My grandpa txted me an ss of an email he got from Boeing (his job) today telling employees to stop playing PokemonGO on their network lol — samy ke (@samylol) July 14, 2016
The memes have just started.
Smartphone users are going bonkers, trying to “catch” Pikachu or Squirtle or other creatures with their smartphone. It can be a good workout as catching the virtual creatures often requires a great deal of walking on streets and around public places. Users need to refer to an animated map akin to a Google map which pops up on their screens showing if or not there’s a Pokémon in their nearby areas. Well, if you haven’t collected Pokémon cards – it’s little difficult to understand the inherent fun factor it has for the players. Still, there’s no need to feel left out. Pokémon can be used for business and you don’t have to be an expert player for this:
From outside the restaurant where we ate dinner tonight. There was a Pokestop next door with lure constantly active. pic.twitter.com/cfQ05yIdl8
— Steve Lubitz (@WickedGood) July 11, 2016
Best marketing EVER ????#PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/eRi9UAMbrv — Siefe (@Siefe) July 13, 2016
Remember to offer an incentive for maximum gains #PokemonGO #Marketing pic.twitter.com/eFSYYDo3Qy
— Lamar (@lamzyco) July 14, 2016
Use Pokémon Lure for Increasing Footfall to your Retail Store
Pokémon Lure is a feature in the game which lures Pokémon to your area. However, when you turn it on, it also brings other Pokémon players to your area – as they would also be interested in catching the virtual creatures. This can help restaurants and retail store owners increase footfall to their premises. There is a limit to free Lures; however, you can buy more lures at very nominal charges.
It’s not the first time that a game app has been used for marketing and promotional purposes, but none of the apps in the past have panned out as Pokémon Go. It is reported that since its July 6th launch in the US, the app has added more than $7.5 billion in market value to Nintendo, which owns a part of The Pokémon Company.
Why is Pokémon Go such a big hit?
Analysts are wondering why it is such a big craze. It’s definitely not the novelty factor – Augmented Reality Apps have made their presence felt in the past too; Snapchat is a good example. Moreover, Pokémon Go is built using the same geo-location database as in Ingress, which is a similar game by the developers of Pokémon Go. So why did Ingress fail while Pokémon Go created Tsunamis? Some say the answer lies in the marketing. Pokémon is a big brand that millennials very easily relate to. Combine that with good timing and social proof – you already have the main ingredients for a good success recipe covered.
Whatever is the cause, one thing is for sure – there is a lot of scope for innovation in Augmented Reality and location based entertainment. Although not every business can expect to create another Pokémon Go, there is a higher probability today for their awesome app to be discovered by users than it used to be a few years ago – thanks to Google Nearby. Developers can use Google Nearby APIs to create better apps for local collaboration, screen sharing, multiplayer gaming and local messaging purposes; club it with AR, and you never know what magic it will create. Another possibility for retailers is to explore the possibilities with their in-store beacon network.
There are experts who may refute such innovations or call them a passing fad. Some are even raising doubts over Pokémon Go being hailed as an AR application. However, businesses are only concerned about the ROI and care less about what technology or innovation drives it. AR has long been termed as the technology which has failed to deliver. However, there is enough evidence to suggest that it is only a matter of time before it matures into something bigger and more ubiquitous than smartphones are today.
Credencys Solutions Inc has helped numerous businesses in retail leverage Cognitive Technologies (AR and VR Apps) for their business growth. The company came up with its Smart Mirror solution way back in 2013. Since then, Credencys has evolved into a leading software solutions and managed services provider for enterprises across the globe. See some of our related work here.
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