Have you started noticing people take an unprecedented interest in exploring the outdoors recently? Well it’s probably because they’ve downloaded the crazily popular new Pokémon Go app.
The app takes the concept of the popular video game turned cartoon television show and brings it to life by having people catch and train Pokémon through GPS tracking. The Pokémon Go app falls under the augmented reality industry, where virtual reality and real life converge to support engagement in real life.
Pokémon Go provides a possible avenue for marketers to reach potential customers. Currently, one of the objectives of the app is for players to go to PokéStops and Pokémon Gyms to collect and train their Pokémon. Local businesses have taken advantage of the fact that their locations may be PokéStops or Pokémon Gyms by encouraging people to interact with their business while they’re using the app.
The popularity of the Pokémon Go app provides a lot of opportunity for marketers. More than 60% of US users use the app daily. It’s estimated that Pokémon Go will surpass Twitter in daily users. In addition to widespread brand engagement, Pokémon Go has increased Nintendo’s value by $7 billion in just a few days.
While there’s currently no map that lists all the Pokéstops and Pokémon Gyms, businesses that have identified that they are a Pokéstop or Pokémon Gym can purchase a lure within the app to increase the rate of Pokémon generation in the area. This will increase foot traffic through your business area while you use unique methods to increase engagement with your business.
Nintendo is also collecting a lot of data from users. Should Nintendo plan to share that data, businesses will be able to gain unique insights into consumer behavior.
To maintain engagement, it may be necessary for Nintendo to quickly add a multi-player feature. For now, you can download the app and try to catch em’ all!
