How to use Pokemon Go as a Brand (and what it means for the future of Marketing)

Pokemon Go is now the most popular app on the app store and has opened the flood gates in terms of Augmented Reality (AR) as the first mass market success.

So what’s actually happening besides middle aged men just walking around chasing invisible Pikachus?

Point: We now understand that people are willing to move throughout the physical world guided by their smart devices. This opens up a massive area for marketing because you can now use digital assets to advertise in physical spaces. The same low cost, low overhead, high impact nature of digital marketing has found a bridge to the physical world. Think AR billboards that only exist when you look at a space through your phone; same impact, lower cost.

What can I do today: Right now, as a brand, you can go download the app, see if there are any Pokemon inside your store/location/hotel/restaurant/office building and advertise yourself all over social media as a “Pokestop” and, with some clever incentives, probably push the hundreds of people walking around outside your store to a purchase decision.

The future: Look out for Pokemon Go to open up an advertising platform much like Snapchat has opened up geofilters. Also be thinking about hosting branded Pokemon Go tournaments, seminars, walk-abouts, or anything that can benefit the millions of people wandering around aimlessly looking for Pokemon.

Stay tuned for a list of creative ways to use Pokemon Go to enhance your brand experience and drive customers to your locations…