Ghostbusters. Beyonce. Election 2016.
They all were strong contenders to ascend the mountain of Summer 2016 and plant their flag of entertainment supremacy, but nope.
As it turns out, a very 80s-looking mobile video game based on a very 90s-era intellectual property has crushed everything in its path.
Pokemon Go, we bow before your greatness.
Even if you’ve managed to keep the app off your phone, none of us have been able to keep it out of our social media streams or the very air we breathe. The augmented reality game is a GPS-fueled scavenger hunt for fictional creatures, but it’s also a worldwide phenomenon and a massive opportunity for marketing.
A Brick and Mortar Breakthrough
Perhaps the greatest thing about Pokemon Go is the fact that it’s getting people of all different ages and backgrounds to get off their couches and out into the real world. Sure, these people are looking for Snorlaxes and Tentacools, but they’re also going anywhere in their neighborhoods to find them. If you’re a brick and mortar store, this is a huge opportunity to get more foot traffic.
With “Pokestops,” a feature of the game that rewards players with bonuses at fixed locations, businesses can “drop a lure” for digital monsters nearby. This amounts to catnip for the Pokemon Go player. Wondering if your store or office is near a Pokestop? Just download the free game and find out.
Whether you sell insurance or vintage T-shirts, the location marketing opportunities are too great to pass up. Drop a lure, post about it on social media, and get out and engage with the throngs of people that show up. You’ll be exposing your business to new faces in-person and creating new conversations with real customers online–always a good thing.
This means something great, we’re pretty sure.
What’s Next?
How long will the Pokemon Go craze last? Well, there are already signs of it cooling off, but that doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze out a little more marketing juice from Pikachu and company. Create a poll. Share a video of your staff playing the game. Or maybe even cater to the people who are tired of hearing about it with a feisty blog post.
But even if you do none of these things, do this: spend a few minutes with your team and talk about what might be the next big thing and how you might be able to capitalize on it. You know it’s coming.