HUNTING FOR BENEFITS
AUGMENTED REALITY craze Pokemon Go broke the Apple store download records in its first week on the market, dwarfing the likes of Twitter and Uber, doubling the value of part-owner Nintendo’s shares within days. McDonald’s rushed to be the game’s first UK sponsor, turning 3,000 of its outlets into Pokemon Go ‘gyms’. Businesses of all sizes are following the hunt.
Nintendo, Google and The Pokemon Company invested the equivalent of over £22 million in developer Niantic in 2015.
The resultant Pokemon Go uses Google Maps to integrate the real world within its virtual universe.
Players act as phone-clutching Pokemon explorers catching Pokemon monsters, with specific in-game rewards available only if walking up to 10 kilometres. 'PokeStops', which provide crucial add-on items, are positioned at local landmarks and businesses such as pubs and restaurants.Blastoise, Charizard, Charmander, Pikachu, Venusaur and many other Pokemon are being discovered here on planet Earth by the millions of eager followers. Well over 100 species can be found and caught.
If you have not joined the Pokemon Go frenzy, you will have heard about it and probably seen people searching somewhere near you.
Incredulous? Yes, even smash-hit fads fade, but in the meantime there will be widespread benefits, ripe for harvesting.
POKEMARKETING
There are many marketing means of taking advantage of Pokemon Go, so it could be appropriate to invest in some Pokemarketing soon. Near the start of a trend is usually the best time to get involved.
This is an all-new advertising platform for big brands, provided that they are subtle in how they handle the opportunity. Short term at least, it is a phenomenal channel, capable of creating masses of new leads and strategic customer connections.
Retail sector small businesses are finding ways to make Pokemon Go improve footfall and flag up expanded sales. Smart owners are buying what are termed 'lures.' These attract Pokemon to their location for half an hour, at minimal cost, tempting hunters (consumers) through their doors.
Parents are seeing it as a means to join in with their kids. Poke walks after the evening meal and the turning of routine shopping trips into family fun outings are examples. Already, children’s and other museums are getting in on the act to add more meaning to their facilities.
The Church of England has said the game gives its communities the chance to meet people. It has encouraged churches around the country to welcome players who visit them, for many of their buildings have been designated as PokeStops.
EQUATES TO EXERCISE
Pokemon Go equates to exercise. The further you walk, the more powerful will be your Pokemon eggs when they hatch. Maybe, obesity can be challenged in this way.
Claims are being made about improvements to players’ mental well-being. Stories are popping up from parents whose children with special needs are using the game to connect and interact with others. It can be an exciting change of routine.
Internet indwellers and social media mavens are used to exploring places, without necessarily knowing their locations. Pokemon Go graphically highlights hidden gems, showing you precisely where they are situated. Now, you really can get to know some of the best features of your city, town or village.
The game is bringing people together and taking them and their smartphones to places they might not otherwise visit: couch lizards no more.
Let’s appreciate Pokemon Go while it lasts. Brands moving ever closer to their customers; small businesses savouring new sources of sales; whole families enjoying active time out and about; health and welfare benefits from increased get up and go; and people recognising and making use of more of what their localities have always had to offer.
Even when the bubble bursts, there should be a significant and ongoing casual user base. Pokemon Go will remain a compelling experience for many, still with spin-off merits.
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