The phenomenon of Pokemon GO and the lessons for marketers
As the LinkedIn Agency Influencer program kicks off for 2017 we share the most shared and engaged with post from Foundation creative strategist Rachael Lonergan, which had more than 60,000 page views and was shared around the world.
Last week, augmented reality game Pokemon GO was launched into Australia and the United States. By the weekend, people were meeting in large groups to play Pokemon GO, most notably in Sydney with over four thousand people expressing interest in an organised Pokemon GO Walk. Surprised by the idea of such a large group meeting together at short notice, this generated great concern for the police and local park authorities. On the day, hundreds of Pokemon GO “trainers” banded together for a peaceful day of Pokemon catching, while bonding over all things Pokemon.
Rachael Lonergan had the biggest single post during the LinkedIn Agency Influencer competition in 2016
I must admit I was at first very ambivalent to the launch of the game. I’m a tad older than the generation for whom Pokemon cartoons and trading “tazos” were a thing (my generation played with sticks and potatoes) so there’s no nostalgia in it for me. But like any good strategist I’m a curious person and egged on by my Twitter cohorts (egg pun intended), I downloaded the game on Saturday to see what the fuss was all about.
Well now, a mere 48 hours later, I’m hooked. From the first Pokemon I caught (Bulbasaur) to the first Pokemon I was able to evolve (Zubat to Golbat), to chasing lures and dropping incense…I’m now immersed in the Pokemon GO world. I was up until midnight last night catching Weedles and this morning I caught three Polliwags! As I’m typing this a Pidgey came by and now I have him in my Pokedex. I’m hoping by tonight’s commute I will be ready for battle training at the blue gym (Go Team Mystic!) and I am excited to hatch my first egg sometime today.
