If you haven’t heard about Pokémon GO, it’s possible you have been in quarantine for the past two weeks. The new augmented reality based App has quickly become the new obsession for kids and nostalgic adults everywhere.
Users need to step outside and physically search for Pokémon, take aim and throw a Poké Ball in order ‘catch em all’. Evolving and hatching Pokémon eggs is based on the distance walked and catching many of the same kind of character, encouraging user to “hunt” for specific rare types of Pokémon. Users don’t have an infinite amount of Poké Balls and that’s where Pokéstops come in.
Trainers are required to travel to Pokéstops to collect more balls.
Pokémon, eggs, stops… it’s a bit much to take in if you aren’t a fan.
So why should you care?
Pokémon trainers across the country are venturing outside to businesses, parks and venues they wouldn’t usually frequent, at all hours of the day. No other game or App has bought hordes of potential new customers straight to your door.
South Bank in Brisbane is a popular tourist location, usually busy on weekends, but relatively quiet by 10pm on week nights when the restaurants shut down.
The below picture was taken on a Thursday night at 10pm. App users extend along the whole Esplanade, showing that the true Pokémon trainers never sleep and the enormous potential for businesses to sell and build brand awareness.
Pancake Manor saw a 40% increase in sales in some of its stores after dropping lures and one small café owner in Sydney recorded 50 new customers within half an hour, saying that most App users who came to the store to catch Pokémon bought at least one item.
What do you need to know?
Is your business near a Poké Stop?
Download the app, open the map and look for the blue icons displayed below.
Lures are modules that are placed on a Poké Stop that attract Pokémon to a specific location. Lures last 30 minutes and remain at that location even if you leave. So picking the closest Poké Stop to your business is essential.
To buy a lure, you will need to buy Pokécoins worth 100 Pokécoins each. 100 Pokécoins are $1.49 or you can buy packs of coins for a slightly discounted price. 30 minutes of marketing will cost you $1.49, far less than most cost per click (CPC) campaigns or traditional media campaigns.
As Pokémon trainers come out of the woodworks to collect the Pokémon your lure is attracting, they will see your business and hopefully (if planned) your advertising or promotions.
Purchasing & Setting Lures to Attract Customers
To Purchase lures:
– Open the Pokémon Go App
– Tap the red Pokéball at the bottom of the screen and hit “Shop”
– Scroll down and buy a pack of Pokécoins (the Apps currency)
– Once you have Pokécoins use them to buy a Lure Module
– Open the Map screen
– Tap on the nearby Poké Stop
– Tap the small white pill-shaped Lure Module Slot
– Tap the Poké Stop Module at the bottom of the screen
– Tap on the Lure Module (it will then rain pink confetti from the Poké Stop to show it is working)
Below is a screen shot of Ann Street in the Fortitude Valley, Brisbane on a Tuesday at 1:40pm the pink confetti shows how many businesses are taking advantage of this affordable marketing and attracting new customers.
Make sure you plan your lure drops to target your specific market. For example if you are a toy store, after school is a good time to activate your lures as kids will be in the car nagging their parents to stop. If you are a bar, 8am may not be the best time to drop your lures.
Don’t forgot to compliment your Pokémon lure offer with social media marketing and appropriate cross-promotions.
Some examples of business offering aimed at drawing in Pokémon Trainers:
– Doughnut Time’s Poké Ball Style Iced Doughnuts
– Discount offerings to Pokémon Go users
– Posting images of the Pokémon in your store
– Cafes offering free charging stations for Pokémon Go users
– Creating special events for users
Whether you are a die-hard Pokémon Go fan or not, it makes good business sense to view this new phenomena as potential to build your brand awareness, create new customer relationships and increase your revenue.
Happy Poké hunting!
NRA Marketing Team.