POKÉMON GO – 5 WAYS IT WILL EFFECT MARKETING

*This post has been edited for context. It was originally published on promozoo.ie*

Unless you’ve been living under a Geodude* for the past few weeks, you’ll have noticed the online and offline activity of Pokémon Go users.

*If you’re not sure what a Geodude is, here’s a picture.

Pokémon Go has revolutionised mobile gaming in just a few weeks, but what are the implications for marketing, both online and offline?

1. POKÉSTOPS/GYMS

Within the game there are certain locations of importance, where you can battle or pick up items. Niantic released a form where you could request a Pokéstop or gyms within the game. Interestingly, they removed this feature pretty quickly, due to high demand.

Businesses with Pokéstops or gyms can expect higher footfall, especially in urban areas. And some businesses have already started to take advantage of this.

2. GUERRILLA MARKETING

Some companies have already made use of the in app purchases available to them! By purchasing a Lure Module and placing it on an existing Pokéstop, you can attract more Pokémon to your Pokéstop for all users, enticing players and Pokémon both.

3. AR OFFLINE: BILLBOARDS & ADSHELLS.

One of the key features in Pokémon Go is the use of Augmented Reality (AR) to place Pokémon in real life surroundings. Use of this in practice hasn’t been reported yet. Using billboards, ad shells or digital displays, advertisers partnering with Niantic could use QR codes to create unique experiences in specific locations.

It could be an ideal location for battles with Team Aqua or to capture rare Pokemon.

4. CAPITALISING ON SOCIAL GATHERINGS: ONLINE COMMUNITIES IN REAL LIFE LOCATIONS

There have been lots of stories of Pokémon Go players converging on locations without much notice but how can marketers make the most of these events?

With advance notice, there may be some interesting results in focusing specific ad content to within a small area using geo-targeting but unless your product or service relates to Pokémon, you may not get much attention.

There is definitely an opportunity for Niantic allowing push notifications within a specific geo targeting radius. I’m sure we’ll also see brands sponsoring specific meet ups, giving them a chance to market directly to the players offline and online.

5. SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTENT PUBLISHERS.

For brands on social media or users looking to publish content on the latest trends, Pokémon Go has already created a dense stream of fodder, even Vodafone are jumping in on the action.

Soon we will see brands creating more detailed tie ins, competitions and conversation around Pokémon Go. But more interesting is how this phenomena will affect the future of mobile gaming and the use of advertising to coincide with both online and offline opportunities.