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Unless you\u2019ve been living under a rock these past couple of weeks, you can\u2019t have failed to notice the latest smartphone craze that is Pok\u00e9mon GO. It\u2019s taken the UK and the rest of the world by storm, exceeding 15 million downloads already. According to reports, the game is easily rivalling some of the world\u2019s most popular apps including Instagram, Twitter and Tinder. Furthermore, the phenomenal number of downloads is translating into a huge number of daily active users, which is giving these well-established apps a run for their money.<\/p>\n
Pok\u00e9mon GO users are spending an average of 33 minutes a day engaged with the app. That\u2019s ample opportunity for marketers to capture players\u2019 attention, and so it\u2019s no wonder that brands and businesses are already considering ways in which they can get in on the action.<\/p>\n
Some lucky businesses success stories have already been cited. McDonald’s Japan shares soared to finish 9.8% higher this week,\u00a0for example, following reports of a future tie-up with the game, in which the fast food restaurants would become sponsored locations known as “Pokestops”. That\u2019s all great, but how can smaller, more local businesses get involved? As Pok\u00e9mon GO players traipse across their towns and cities in search of Pok\u00e9mon, what can local shops, restaurants, cafes and other businesses do, to capitalise on the opportunity? It\u2019s potentially a lot of footfall which would be a shame to miss!<\/p>\n
Pok\u00e9mon GO is a mobile-augmented reality game, in which players earn rewards for exploring their real-world environment. If you haven\u2019t checked already, it\u2019s possible that your business has already been mapped as a location where virtual creatures gather, called a PokeStop.<\/p>\n
There is no official Pok\u00e9mon GO map yet, but as well as downloading the app and exploring for yourself, you could also take a look at the online map of the game \u2018Ingress\u2019, also developed by Pok\u00e9mon GO creator Niantic. Its game \u2018portals\u2019 map almost identically to Pok\u00e9mon GO PokeStops. If your business is lucky enough to be there already, set-up some signage right away, and think about the special offers you could make available to Pok\u00e9mon GO players, who are heading your way as we speak.<\/p>\n
Pok\u00e9mon GO has its own currency, which can be redeemed against in-app purchases. The most important item for businesses to be aware of is \u2018Lures\u2019 which can help to increase the rate of Pok\u00e9mon generation in the area around a PokeStop. You receive 30 minutes of Pok\u00e9mon gathering when you place a Lure, which may not sound like a lot, but it\u2019s a tactic that\u2019s working well for some businesses already. Here\u2019s a comment from a recent Reddit thread on the subject: \u201cI own a pizzeria that’s a Pokestop and I literally did this all day. I had a ton of kids and adults (mostly adults) come in for a slice of pizza and a drink until the lure ran out.\u201d<\/em> What\u2019s more, the associated spend for a business is minimal. A single lure costs 100 Pokecoins (or 680 for eight as a bundle deal). Currently you can buy 100 Pok\u00e9coins for $0.99, and volume discounts are available; so\u00a0for $99.00, you can get 1,4500 Pokecoins, which will enable you to power your lure for 72.5 hours (using the eight-pack lure). In business terms, that\u2019s a significant amount of trading hours that you can potentially be drawing in the crowds.<\/p>\n \n Get exclusive insights into digital \n \n \n Stay Forward <\/h2>\n
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