Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few days, you’ve heard about Pokemon Go, the overnight social media phenomenon.
Just to put this phenomenon into perspective, according to Similar Web, the app has already been installed on more U.S. Android phones than Tinder and has a higher usage time than Whatsapp, Instagram, Snapchat and Messenger.
The new mobile and augmented reality (AR) game from Niantic Labs and The Pokemon Company uses your phone’s GPS and camera to turn the real world into a massive hunting ground for the iconic creatures. But here’s the interesting part, it also transforms local landmarks and businesses into Pokemon Gyms and PokeStops (in normal speaking terms, places to train your character and collect free accessories) … aka great marketing tactics!
For example, restaurants can lure customers by creating discounts for Pokemon-inspired drink or food options if customers show the game on their phone. This is somewhat similar to marketing tactics employed during the previous craze for location-based apps such as Foursquare and Gowalla.
Another avenue businesses can take is purchasing “lure modules.” These attract Pokemon players to a Pokestop for 30 min. and will affect the area around that stop up to 500 meter radius. If your business is within these boundaries, it may be another opportunity to increase customers.
It didn’t take long before Pokemon hunts started showing up on Facebook. A NY Times article states that an event in San Francisco State University has more than 18,000 people indicating they’re interested in attending.
It’ll be interesting to see how long this trend will last but in the meantime, I think it’s a great way for companies, especially restaurants and retail, to generate business. Before shaking your head with skepticism, download it and give it a try.