The Pokémon GO craze is on. Businesses are making the most out of this marketing opportunity to bring favourable impacts to their bottomlines. Pokémon GO has become the pivot of their marketing strategy.
Even now and then, things happen in our world and even marketplace that, when acted upon quickly enough, can provide a unique relevance with consumers and produce a strong marketing impact. The Pokémon GO game is one of the many favourable chances used in opportunistic marketing. Opportunistic marketing enjoys a higher distribution rate and gains better consumer advocacy simply because people love to share what is in trend. Humans feel a sense of belonging among their social group. When their peers play Pokémon GO, they play it too. And when they are immersed in the game, they are more likely to embrace, participate and share things that are related to Pokémon GO as well. Venture further for a worthy list of Pokémon GO marketing tactics for your business!
1. Strategise The Use Of Lures
Using lures is the simplest way to gravitate foot traffic to your store. Pokémon GO Lure Modules are items players can use at a PokéStop to increase the amount of Pokémon that spawn for everyone who is within the distance of the ‘LIT’ (PokéStop Currently Active with a Lure Module) PokéStop. When you lure Pokémons, you attract players too. An increase in foot traffic builds up brand impressions and exposure. Time your lures and strategise the locations to maximise human traffic flow!
2. Relate Your Business With Pokémon
Squeeze every ounce of creative juice to relate your business with Pokémon! Be tasteful and not cliché. Work towards top-of-mind awareness for your brand when you draw associations with Pokémon. Reinforce your Unique Selling Point of your business. If you are a florist, create an attractive Bulbasaur with flowers and blooms and have it stand at your storefront to welcome consumers; if you sell balloons, make an electrifying Pikachu balloon sculpture and fly it up with your brand name where consumers can see. Design pull-up banners to reinforce your marketing message. The possibilities are endless. Know the Pokémon types and their abilities. Use them in favour to your business!
3. Associate Your Brand Mascot With Pokémon
If your business has a brand mascot, befriend the pocket monsters already! Connect your mascot with Pokémon through humour or witty taglines. Well… if it’s hard to make an association, go for a disassociation instead (Facebook notice of PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency). Make a deep brand impression! Consumers share what tickles them. They’ll spread your brand name and your business gains love by reaching their network as a result. Consider designing a brand mascot if your business doesn’t have one!
4. Transform Your Product Into Adorable Pokémons
If you are a business selling products, you may want to think about transforming your goods into cutesy Pokémons. An aromatic Charmander cookie for a bakery; a sweet Squirtle jelly for a dessert store; a new series of wall stickers inspired by Pokémon for a decal business. You get the drift and you know your business best. Decide for yourself, how and what new products you can transform your existing ones into!
5. Make Trainers Catch Pokémon In Your Store
Get trainers to play at your store. Make it a competition with a prize to be sought after. Have them catch Pokémons, take a picture with your store as the background and share it on favourable social media platforms of your choice. Ensure your logo is visible in these shared photos. Use hastags effectively to evaluate your marketing campaign and for branding. Your store gains publicity and brand awareness is improved.
6. Reward Pokémon Trainers With Specific Promotions
Reward Pokémon trainers for whatever reasons you can find. Be generous to consumers. Your favours will return in twofolds and greater multitude when done right. Give specific promotions that reward trainers according to:
- whatever gender the trainer is (male or female);
- whichever team they might be (Instinct, Mystic or Valor, represented by the colours yellow, blue and red, respectively);
- however much Pokémons they have caught thus far;
- whichever rare Pokémon they have got; and
- whatever level the trainer is.
Understand the game and create marketing strategies that are suitable for your business.
7. Provide Pokémon Trainers With Resources
The Pokémon GO game consumes data and drains battery power. Attract players by providing for their needs. Designate a charging spot at your store to replenish their battery life. Open up your WiFi network to the public to ease their data usage. While they are taking their time to charge their devices, communicate with them and share what you are selling. Put up posters and hang out displays to tell people your store is offering free data and charging points. You’ll see trainers flocking in!
8. Create Pokémon Tournaments And Contests
Organise Pokémon tournaments and contests. Put up a generous reward to whoever owns the designated gym near your store at the end of a given period. Create photo contests with requirements that favour and sell your bottomline. Have the participants ‘like’ your Facebook page and website. This improves social signals and betters your ranking in Search Engine Ranked Pages (SERP).
9. Team Up With Other Store Owners
There is always strength in numbers. Join up with other store owners, run promotions together and pool resources to make it a mega event for your business catchment area. Give people a valid reason to visit your area. Design and create stamp cards. Make people visit every participating store to get a freebie. Collaborating with other business owners will defray the costs of design and publicity for the marketing campaign. The joint budget enables your marketing campaign to make a wider reach. Marketing is a numbers game. The more people you are able to reach, the higher your conversion and return on investment.
10. Publicise Pokémon Promotions On Your Website
Consumers make millions of online searches per day. Smart shoppers scour for great deals and promotions. Publicise your Pokémon promotions on your website. When consumers find your promotional page, they find your brand. It increases online traffic for your business via content marketing. Increase impression and distribution of your promotional campaign by sharing on social media platforms. People will share deals with their network of friends and family if they find it worthy.
11. Be Sociable!
Be a friendly business and keep in touch with consumers. Search and share hilarious news on Pokémon GO. Hunt for popular posts related to Pokémon on social media platforms. Leave witty comments and when you do so, you are actually making brand impressions on people who reads those comments. Share the locations of rare Pokémons that are near your store on social media platforms. It increases foot traffic to your business!
When done right, your Pokémon GO marketing ideas and strategies can benefit your business with good return on investment. Other than capitalising on this opportunity and making short-term profits, what you’re really doing is establishing a good reputation and relationship with millennials, your consumers. Remember… great relationships with consumers aren’t built in a day. Great relationships are built daily!
