Amid the phenomenon that is Pokémon Go, attention has turned to its marketing potential, with businesses looking to the capacity of the mobile game to drive foot traffic.
Employing augmented reality, the game involves players stepping outdoors to capture Pokémon via their smartphones, with its popularity soaring since its release last week.
How this will be monetised and what impact this will have on retailers’ marketing strategies has become a point of interest.
As reported by Reuters, marketing experts state that small businesses could increasingly turn to the game.
“With Pokémon Go, you are seeing it as bypassing a lot of digital (marketing) channels that the brick and mortar shops have been relying on for the past few years,” Reuters reported Christophe Jammet, director of social media and mobile at consultancy DDG in New York, as stating.
“There hasn’t been a geolocation social platform that can lure so many people all at once.”
Doubtless, businesses will start looking to cash in, and marketers and ad agencies will be looking to formulate strategies around the mobile game.
Pokémon Lure Modules, applied to a PokéStop, have the potential to drive players to different locations, with reports having emerged of retailers employing this function to drive foot traffic.
It seems likely that these types functions will be built upon, with innovative marketers set to reap the benefits.
It is certainly a case of watch this space, with the game’s developers now having a range of advertising options to explore.