Want to tap into a customer base of 50 million users who’ve spent over $200 million in a month? If your business is marked as a PokéStop, drawing new customers to your store can be as easy as putting a sign out. But even if you’re not listed as a stop, you’re not totally out of the loop.
Unless you’ve lived on another planet for the past 20 years, chances are you’ve heard of Pokémon and know that Pikachu is the yellow guy. You probably have also been hearing a lot about Pokémon Go, whether you want to or not. However, this is a great opportunity for many businesses, so it’s worth paying attention to this game. While news of the game and TV series has been rather silent over the past few years, the release of Pokémon Go has brought an insurgence of nostalgia-driven fans, their kids, and new fans alike. While the game is just passing its one month milestone, the amount of traction and media coverage the game has garnered has surpassed that of any phone app before it. Pokémon Go has broken records, becoming the top grossing app less than a day after its launch, smashing all other app records before it.
If you’re a business manager or owner whose target customers include those between 4 and 34, chances are you can have success by joining in on the Pokémon trend. Businesses marked as PokéStops have already begun advertising their status to bring new customers in. We’ve also seen places that are next door to or across the street from stops using this chance to attract people to their business. So, if your location is near a stop, put out a sign and let people know. Even if you’ve waited until now, you’re not too late! Pokémon Go is still in its early phases, and the creators haven’t yet implemented all of their planned features. Whether your store is already a PokéStop or not, here are ways you can generate more traffic to your store with Pokémon Go.
Finding Out if You’re a PokéStop
PokéStops are locations, typically landmarks, parks, memorials, and statues, that players can go to in order to collect in-game items for free (rather than paying for them). These stops refresh every 5 minutes, so it’s not uncommon for people to hang around these areas for long periods of time. This creates the potential to make sales off of people who are simply just hanging around in the area. Finding out if your location is a PokéStop is easy. Simply go to your mobile app store and search for Pokémon Go and download the app.
Once you complete the registration process, you can log in and view the Google Map that will show you PokéStops. Pokemon Go is a GPS-based application, so if you’re at your store, you should be able to see if your building has a PokéStop near or on it. A PokéStop is denoted by a small blue tower with a series of rotating circles on top – essentially a stylized Pokémon symbol. If you are a business that has already been selected, you’re in luck and you should use this opportunity to its fullest potential. Even if the PokéStop isn’t directly on your business, as long as you’re in range of the marker, you should advertise that your business is Pokéfriendly.
How to Become a PokéStop
To add a new stop, players are able to make suggestions through Niantic’s (the Pokémon Go developers) website here. Unfortunately, Niantic has currently suspended submissions to add new PokéStops with no timetable as to when they’ll open up submissions again. So if you’re not marked as or located near a PokéStop, this could mean you have to wait. However, this does come with some good news as it could be a hinting towards Niantic’s sustainable business model of allowing businesses to sponsor locations. Just recently, Niantic began testing this feature in Japan, which McDonald’s has picked up. So what does this mean for you? The wait might not be too long until you can pay to become a sponsored PokéStop! If your target consumer base is relative to the player base of Pokémon Go, you should keep an eye out for this feature and be prepared when it comes!
Advertising Your PokéStop With PokéSigns
We know from experience with our customers that signage is the most effective way to attract passers by into your business. When your signage is advertising your location as a PokéStop, it’s super effective! (That’s a Pokémon reference.) Temporary signs (banners, window signs, etc.) are great for advertising Pokémon Go, though if you already have a letter board sign—or better yet, a digital sign—it’s easy to put up any message with minimal effort. (We recommend digital signage because you’ll always be able to advertise for whatever the latest trend is, even when the Pokémon craze is over.) Here are some things you may want your signs to say:
-
- PokéStop Here!
-
- Pokéfriendly Shop!
-
- We’re a PokéStop!
-
- Free Gift for Pokémon Go Players!
- Charging Stations for Pokémon Go!
Don’t Want to be Part of the Fad?
While many business are advertising to and welcoming Pokémon Go players, your business might have nothing to do with this target audience and it could be causing you a headache. Niantic, the Pokémon Go creators, want to make sure everyone is happy. So, if you want to remove your store from being a PokéStop, simply follow this link, fill out, and submit this form.
