5 Marketing Lesson You Can Learn From Pokémon Go

So it’s been two weeks since Pokémon Go seemingly took over the world. And every day, the app seems to be breaking new records.   It has the most week one downloads of any app, and also became the fastest app to top the app revenue charts. It’s already hit these milestones, and that was all before hitting major markets like Japan and China. So how did this phenomenon come about, and how can you apply it to your products? Let’s take a look at the five marketing lessons we can learn from Pokémon Go.

1) Nostalgia sells

We all know how much millennials cherish their childhood memories, better known as 90’s kid syndrome! And there is nothing more 90’s than Pokémon, which is why Pokémon Go became such a huge success. If you can market your brand or product in a way that brings out happy childhood memories in people, especially younger adults, then you’ll have no problem converting them into customers.

2) Escapism sells

If you’ve seen the TV spots and online ads for Pokémon Go, you’ll know how epic it looks. Huge Pokémon battling on bridges, exploring mysterious places, and the already-iconic shot of Mewtwo flying around Times Square in New York City – the visuals make you want to be a part of it! We know it’s not going to really look like that, but it’s enough to hook us.

3) New technology sells

From game consoles to mobile phones , new technology always sells well if it has a strong brand name behind it. People queue around the corner for the latest iPhone or Playstation. So when Nintendo brought Augmented Reality gaming to the mainstream, people quickly took notice. And it’s not only the new technology that caught attention, it was the fact that the AR gameplay required people to go outside and walk around to find all the Pokémon available. It helped people get more exercise and even socialise with other players in their area.

4) Collecting sells

This is one of the main reasons why Pokémon became so successful two decades ago – catching them all was challenging and addictive. But this isn’t a new thing in games. From the pellets in Pac-Man to Super Mario’s stars to creating your army in Mass Effect 3 – all iconic games with a lot of collecting involves. People tend to be completionists by nature, so if a game is advertised with Catch ’em All, then people won’t need much more convincing.

5) Hype sells

Okay, this one is obvious, but it’s also true. Thanks to the internet, hype for a new product grows exponentially until its release. But there is a science to it. If you release your product too early, then it won’t have enough momentum behind it. Release it too late, and the all the momentum will have fizzled out. It’s important to use social media and any other platforms you have to create word of mouth and buzz with your potential fanbase.

So those are five marketing tips you can learn from Pokémon Go. Think about each one, and how you can apply them to your brand and your new products.