Is Pokemon Go Marketing a Go for Your Business?

There have been about 36 million+ pieces of content written about Pokemon Go and the potential marketing opportunities for businesses (just Google Pokemon Go). I am not going to take the time to explain what Pokemon Go is, how to leverage the app as a business strategy, or even potential Pokemon Go marketing strategies for your business.

I want to focus on one simple question:

Should you leverage the Pokemon Go frenzy to grow your business?

1. How well do you understand Pokemon?

Do you know much about the Pokemon game and culture? I will be the first to admit that I don’t get it, but I know a bunch of people who do and love it. If we were to embark on a Pokemon Go marketing strategy at The Squad, there would have to be another person leading the campaign. I do not know enough about it to do it well. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I'd seek out someone who does and leverage their know-how to better understand how you may be able to leverage this trend in your digital marketing strategy.

2. Is your target audience fascinated by Pokemon Go?

This is the key question to the whole equation. Does your target audience play Pokemon Go or are they potentially intrigued by the game? If not, stop right here and don’t spend another thought on figuring out how to add Pokemon Go to your digital marketing strategy. If the answer is resounding yes or more “yes” than “no,” move on to question three.

3. Do you have a business structure that will capitalize on the app?

What is your business model? Are you a brick and mortar location or are you a digital business? Your business type, local, and service model will largely determine how and if you leverage Pokemon Go.

4. What do you have to give up to pursue a Pokemon Go marketing initiative?

Every business has limited resources. In order to pursue Pokemon Go as a marketing initiative, you will more than likely have to give up something else (time and resources to pursue this initiative. Is it worth it to abandon a proven marketing strategy to pursue this one? Maybe. Only you can answer that question. You will have to base your decision on current marketing performance, available resources, and evaluation of the potential return on investment.

Is a Pokemon Go marketing strategy right for you and your business?

Maybe. Maybe not. Take some time to reflect on the above questions to help you make a decision to further pursue investigating Pokemon Go marketing strategies for your business.

My two cents on Pokemon Go and the future of Augmented Reality.

Similar to Angry Birds and other fad games, I believe that Pokemon Go will eventually fade as something new captures the fascination of fickle consumers. While the game may eventually fade, I believe that Pokemon Go has opened the floodgate for augmented reality games and additional digital marketing strategies for businesses. It is impossible to say exactly where this will lead, but I can promise you two things:

1. The future applications and implications of augmented reality will be far and wide
2. Marketers need to pay careful attention

I would love to hear your comments on the topic of Pokemon Go marketing. Are you planning on using it as a part of your digital marketing strategy? What do you think is next for augmented reality games and marketing?