How Hotels Can Benefit From Pokemon Go
On July 6th gaming giant Nintendo released its newest augmented reality game, Pokémon Go. Just two weeks after its release, Pokémon Go is changing much more than just the gaming industry. Don’t believe us? Check out these jaw-dropping statistics:
- $9 billion – Increase in Nintendo stocks since Pokémon Go release
- $57.65 billion – Nintendo’s recorded revenue since 2015
- 16% – Percentage of all Android devices in the U.S. that downloaded Pokémon Go
- 362% – Percent increase in Spotify streams of Pokémon theme song “Gotta Catch ‘Em All”
- 25% – Percent boost in stock for smart phone battery companies
- 21 million – Number of daily active users 24 hours after launch
What makes Pokémon Go different from other popular role-playing games such as Second Life and World of Warcraft? Instead of creating an entirely separate virtual world inside your smart phone or computer, Nintendo created a virtual world and laid it atop of the real world.
The game uses your phone’s GPS, camera and clock to detect where and when you are in the game. The purpose behind Pokémon Go is to get people to travel around the real world and catch virtual Pokémon that “appear” around you as you move. Notable real-world locations are marked on the in-game map as PokéStops, where you can go to snag Poke Balls and eggs that hatch into full Pokémon.
3 Easy Ways to Capitalize on Pokémon Go!
Here are some simple but effective ways to put your hotel in the best position to benefit from the latest craze!
1. Welcome all Pokémon Masters
The first and easiest way to reap the benefits of this phenomenon is to advertise! Nearly 1 in every 10 hotels in the United States are mentioning Pokémon Go in their social media. Whether you announce that you are Pokémon-friendly or choose to disclose nearby PokéStops, recharging stations and hotspots, you can bet on an increase in traffic by simply showing your support… and it’s free!
2. Purchase Lure Modules
Lure Modules can be purchased to attract Pokémon for 30-minutes to a location of your choice. Lure Modules are available as an in-app purchase at 680 Pokécoins for 8 Lure Modules. $100 is equal to 14,500 Pokécoins, so…
14,500/680 = 21 eight-packs of Lures
(21*8)/2= 84 hours
$100/84 hours= $1.19 per hour.
For only $1.19 per hour, hoteliers can lure prospects to their hotels. Drop a Lure before a big event to increase foot traffic, it is surprisingly effective! However, Lure’s can only be attached to existing PokéStops so be sure to use this tip if you’re lucky enough to be one!
3. Offer Promotions
Take your support to a whole new level and offer discounts and promotions to people using the Pokémon Go app. You won’t be the only one doing it: Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt in Youngstown is a designated PokéStop that offers $1 off an ice cream cone if you show that you use the app. A hotel bar in Grand Rapids gives a 10% discount off tabs of app users on Team Mystic. A coffee shop in San Francisco promises to drop a lure for every 15 drinks that are purchased at the store… And the list goes on and on!
Many businesses are complaining of an increase in foot traffic, but no paying customers. Although this can be irritating, instead of posting “Pokémon are for paying customers ONLY” signs on your doors, capitalize on the opportunity of potential business. With a whole slue of pending upgrades on the app, it is highly unlikely that the Pokémon trend will be going anywhere anytime soon. So, if you can’t beat them, join them (and reap the benefits)!
Do you have a creative way to benefit from Pokémon Go? Leave us your thoughts in our comments section below!
