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- By Jesse Linklater
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With more than 21 Million daily active users, Pokémon GO is a legitimate online to IRL phenomenon. Pokémon trainers (players) huddle around PokéStops to collect the little critters, creating new marketing opportunities for National brands. To help you out, we created the Local Marketer’s Guide to Pokémon GO Marketing – your handy resource for turning trainers into shoppers.
The Basics
Pokémon GO has managed to do what many retailers haven’t managed to accomplish: make augmented reality work in a big way. Game creators Niantic have managed to combine augmented reality, location-based services, and mobile gaming into one wildly popular interface. The game requires trainers to move through the real world to catch Pikachu and his friends. They congregate around PokéStops and Gyms to catch Pokémon, collect necessary supplies, and battle their creatures against competitors. This gives brands the chance to reach out to trainers to promote their locations and offers, so long as they’ve got one of the PokéStops near a store. Trainers may be hanging around outside, or even inside, your locations, but how do you get them to shop?
Niantic are still figuring out direct in-game sponsorship. Until they do, here are some examples of thoughtful and creative Pokémon GO marketing that brick-and-mortar brands can use to connect with trainers.
- Tanger Outlets in Arizona has been very proactive alerting trainers to what Pokémon they can catch the outlets. They offer gift cards and other promos for social shares mentioning the brand with a snap of the creature.
Tanger Outlets has Pokémon GO figured out.
- L’inizio’s Pizza Bar in Queens is one of the most famous early examples. According to Bloomberg they spent approximately $10 on Lure Modules, and increased pizza and beer sales by about 30%.
Smart Pokemon Marketing boost sales.
- Pokémon GO eats data and battery-life like crazy, so offering a charging station and free wifi is a community-minded way to let trainers know you think of this as a win-win.
Charging stations and free wifi will make you a PokéHero!
- Trainers are working hard for the Pokémon, so don’t be afraid to have fun and get creative. Most trainers fit into the youthful demos, so consider your target market when you are brainstorming your Pokémon strategies.
Get creative! Pokémon trainers are often in need of a laugh after missing out on a Raichu, or whatever.
Those are all short-term, in-game to in-store promotions. Great to boost your revenue quickly. But what National brands should focus on is how Niantic was able to make augmented reality and location-based services work together so well. Understanding how Niantic meshed the tech and human factors, and then incorporating the same tech synergy into their retail apps is the long-term opportunity brands should be trying to resolve.
