Yes, you're tired of hearing about Pokemon fans talking about the latest craze which is Pokemon Go. The phenomenon has swept the world at a record pace since its release on July 6. Some hate it as it endangers the users lives as they mindlessly walk onto traffic while others love it as it gets people gathering in common places across the country, hunting virtual characters with their phones.
Believe it or not, Pokemon Go could be the beginning of a shift in the way we advertise. Yes, it is bridging the gap between the online and offline experience and leveraging the latest augmented reality.
In a world where marketers are using hyper-targeted strategies to drive brand awareness and conversion from the "right" audience, it is hard to believe success can be found leveraging a generalized approach. Pokemon Go, the latest and greatest augmented-reality mobile application, became the most popular mobile app across generations, cultures, genders and race in less than a week. While it's difficult to predict the vitality and success of any content, we often find that the truly successful have many elements in common, and Pokemon Go has hit on all of them.
An Established Brand With An Emotional Connection
The Pokemon brand has been around for three decades and has adapted each iteration to the industry's latest gaming technology. Its adaptive nature has allowed Pokemon to shape a generational brand. At the core of any brand or campaign is an emotional connection, Some people have been fans for years while others, who loved Pokemon as kids, choose to play because it makes them nostalgic for their childhood.
Consumer Focused
It's a game that is accessible to anyone with a smartphone, and it's easy to use. The game is generally free and it encourages people to go outside and search.
Strong Visibility
You see them everywhere. Groups of people hunting Pokemon, eyes glued to phones. They are obvious because they are disrupting the normal course of daily human behavior. This naturally sparks interest, prompting observers to seek an explanation by searching or asking others, which causes a ripple effect of awareness for the app even on social media platforms.
Social element
It's incredibly social. Pokemon Go is bringing people together in the real (physical) world where they bond over a common interest. It's a welcome change from the walled social interactions online. Because it brings people together physically in a new situation, it has become ideal sharing material for social networks.
Headline-worthy
the biggest catapult to extreme vitality is that it's drawing major headlines on social networks and news outlets. We've seen news about Pokemon Go accidents, health benefits and robberies. The familiarity of the brand and chaos that has ensued has created perfect fodder for the media.
An Established Community
Having a fanatical fan base to start and continue the Pokemon Go conversation helped genuinely build the game's popularity rather than a celebrity-like influencers who has extensive reach but little credibility within the niche community. Brands should build a community of power fans who authentically seed new products or campaigns to help drive the awareness wildfire.
Displaces Multiple product benefits
Pokemon Go appeals to a large audience because it delivers on various user benefits—nostalgia, innovation, fitness, etc. Various points of resonance not only help grow a brand or product's potential audience, but also provide a well-rounded user experience.
This approach is new and unexplored, but Pokemon Go's explosive and broad success adds validity that cannot go unnoticed. Marketers and advertisers should evaluate if this approach is right for their brand based on the above criteria and test it on lower-priority products and campaigns to understand its true effect.
Cheers,
Amos C
Information source : Adweek, Marie Goldstein, Tod Loofbourrow