Pokemon GO has the potential to change the marketing face of small & local business

Pokemon GO, is everywhere. If you’ve not heard about it, then where have you been? Essentially it is a game that you play using your smartphone, but what does it mean for marketing and what can we learn from it?

The popularity of the App has been unprecedented, storming its way to the top of Apple and Android app stores in record time. This popularity looks set to challenge young internet companies which specialise in increasing foot traffic for small businesses and may end up playing a role in major brands' marketing, according to industry experts.

The augmented reality game from Nintendo enables players to walk around real-life neighborhoods to hunt down virtual cartoon characters on their smartphone screens. It launched in the UK today and has more than 65 million users in the United States just seven days after launch.

That is more users than Twitter, and the game is already helping local restaurants, coffee shops, and small retailers to attract new customers. Small businesses can activate a "lure module" feature that attracts virtual Pokemon characters to the store, thereby tempting in nearby players. For retailers who don’t see much traffic, this could be a great ploy to get people to visit, and of course with footfall, comes the opportunity to sell product/services. This USA Restaurant 'Dairy Queen' has perhaps missed the point!

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