You are probably tired of hearing about Pokémon Go. You also probably heard stories about people hunting Pokémon in hospital rooms, offices and parks. One teenage girl even found a dead body while looking for Pokémon. A woman caught her boyfriend cheating while searching for little Japanese monsters (Pokémon is from Japanese “pocket monsters”).
Pokémon Go explained in 80 words
Pokémon Go is a game that uses your phone’s GPS and clock to detect when and where you are in the game. Pokémon “appear” around you so you can catch them. As you move around, more and more types of Pokémon appear depending on where you are and what time it is. The main idea is to encourage people to travel around the world and catch Pokémon. This combination of a game and the real world is called “augmented reality.”
Just how popular is Pokémon Go?
Pokémon Go is so mainstream, people are posting their adventures while out at the bar, at the gym or even on vacation. The app is so popular it surpassed the daily active users of Twitter for the Android platform. People are even choosing Pokémon Go over Facebook.
Over 50% of Pokémon players are Millennials, but that doesn’t surprise anyone. Gen X (ages 35 and 50) make 24%, and 11% are somewhere between 7 and 20 years old. That’s not all- 9% are 52 to 75+-year-olds who also play Pokémon Go!
Key elements of Pokémon Go success
- Nostalgia
Sweet, sweet nostalgia. Pokémon took the world by storm in the late 1990s. Given that many original Pokémon fans are now adults, this idea has definitely targeted nostalgia and childhood. And we all know you can’t go wrong with nostalgia and childhood.
- Customer-focused
Pokémon Go is accessible to anyone with a smartphone. It is also incredibly easy to use. You don’t need expensive equipment to use it (although you can buy items in the store with real money that helps you lure Pokémon). All you need to do is to go out and look for Pokémon.
- Social element
Pokémon Go is a social game. It is actually bringing people together. Pokémon fans share the same virtual interests in the real world, which is a good change from living inside the Facebook inbox for years.
Foot traffic potential of Pokemon Go is powerful dynamic, both good (commercial) & bad (residential). Here comes AR Game Optimization (ARGO)
— Jeff Weiner (@jeffweiner) July 11, 2016
Some say that Pokémon is all about running from the real world into the virtual one. And let’s be honest, we live in the tough times and reality can be hard on us. On the other hand, there are people who find it extremely positive, as people now actually leave their homes and walk for change. One of those people is Jeff Weiner, CEO of Linkedin.
Lure your customers with a ‘lure’ option
There is the in-game item called a ‘Lure,’ which attracts Pokémon to a specific PokéStop for 30 minutes. Savvy business owners are already using it to increase the foot traffic near their stores during that period.
The math is clear: more Pokémon equals more foot traffic. More foot traffic means more money.
A coffeehouse from Atlanta placed “lured modules” around the stops to make Pokémon spawn more often in the area. Each module costs as much as $1 for 30 minutes. To further increase the likelihood of people buying coffee, the coffeehouse added 25 phone charging stations after finding that the game drains battery. While waiting for the phone to charge, people buy coffee.
In New York, L’inizio’s pizza had a business go up 75% after paying $10 to continue to put up Lures connected to the store.
Other companies recognised the business opportunity as well:
Because #PokemonGO https://t.co/OyZwxQGdmt pic.twitter.com/3BOvz9DGR2
— Amazon (@amazon) July 11, 2016
When you just gotta catch 'em all. #PokemonGO is on at the Mall! pic.twitter.com/R2LZ9WtWOh
— Mall of America (@mallofamerica) July 11, 2016
What does your business have to do with Pokémon Go?
The truth is, when something is as successful as Pokémon Go, there is usually a lot of opportunities for many business owners. Regardless of your company size and industry, you could probably find a way to profit from Pokémon Go.
- Doctors and dentists can get people come with a Lure Module and a well-timed social media post
- Restaurants, Bars, Diners and Coffee Shops can take advantage of a nearby PokéStop and use the Lure Module to attract customers. But, you should also make sure you offer a nice incentive as well
- Museums and public libraries can create walking tours where patrons can catch Pokémon and learn
- Realtors can offer a Pokémon incentive at the upcoming open houses
Nobody really knows how long the Pokémon Go craze will last. It is important, however, to use the opportunities Pokémon Go is offering here and now. As a powerful franchise that is combining nostalgia and business opportunities, Pokémon Go is paving the way for the next big frontier. And the name of the game is augmented reality.
Tech giants like Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are giving a lot of money into research of augmented reality. Does this sound interesting to you? Share your experiences and learn about the best practices from other professionals at the UK Digital Experience Awards 2016!
The post Pokémon Go: How To Apply Its Success To Your Business appeared first on UK DXA 2016.