The short answer is: YES!
Yes, even we we were a little surprised at just how far and wide Pokemon Go has gotten in such little time. And even more surprised when more than one client spent some time talking to us about Pokemon today – granted, these are hi-tech-bars and restaurants, so they are expected to be on the very edge of tech and marketing.
We’ve all likely heard some horror stories already. Car accidents. People getting hurt. Relationships are even suffering.
The Good News
People are talking. Millions and millions are playing. And playing means actually *going* somewhere. Sponsorships will be there for major brands.
How can Pokemon Go help the rest of us? The small-medium businesses, competing for SEO, SEM and just trying to keep our business listings in check?!
The immediate benefit to bars, restaurants, cafes, dessert shops etc is obvious. The health benefits are great, and healthy customers are always a good thing.
Local businesses are paying attention to new and important ways to get their message out there – this may be the most powerful piece of this puzzle. YES – games, smartphones and local internet really matter. Local business is seeing a real benefit. And Local Businesses are really thinking about how they can join in the fun.
Ten years ago, your basic Local Business was only starting to get interested in their local presence online. Twenty years ago we were literally teaching customers about what the Internet was, and what it could do for them. Today, just one week after its initial release, Local Businesses are already benefitting from Pokemon Go.
For those of you who may be wondering what the Big Brands are doing, read these articles: McDonalds, Best-Buy, Arby’s, The WWE, Major Movie Studios.
What’s next?
Pokemon Go is the fastest growing and most popular app … ever. Will it remain so? What will Augmented Reality bring us next? It remains a question how Pokemon Go can deliver clients to Accountants, Plumbers or Car Dealerships. But what we know for certain is that a page has been turned, local marketing continues to evolve and thinking outside of the box is no longer so “out of the box” – this is the way it is now.
Gotta catch’ em all!
Examples, and how it works
Pokemon Go Is Driving Insane Amounts of Sales at Small Local Businesses. Here’s How It Works – For $1.19 an hour, you can have more customers than you’ve ever seen in your life – read more
“Games are the easiest way to generate engagement and activity and excitement,” said Fridman. “We have nothing to do with Pokémon and the license and brand, yet we can leverage it to our benefit and bring in a cast of characters and celebrate with them.” – read more
New York pizzeria L’inizio Pizza Bar saw sales rocket up 75 percent this weekend after its manager, Sean Benedetti, spent $10 to have a dozen Pokemon lured to the location – read more
