Pokémon Go and the Power of Branding
Pokémon are back and they have taken over the entire world, literally. Nintendo and Niantic Labs have released Pokémon Go, an augmented reality (AR) game where players explore the real world to find and catch Pokémon through an app on their phones. The huge success of the game has shocked everyone by jumping to the top of the app charts, bringing in millions of dollars from in app purchases, and passing Tinder and Twitter in number of users. It has taken over social media threads and headlined the national news in less than a week. What made Pokémon Go such a huge overnight success? What can be learned about branding and marketing from the game? And who to choose as a starting Pokémon? Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander? (Charmander, duh)
The biggest key to the game’s success has been millennials who grew up in the 1990’s playing the original Game Boy games, collecting the trading cards, and watching the cartoon before school every morning. Pokémon was a huge franchise in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and now everyone who grew up during Poké-mania is jumping at the chance to catch Pokémon in real life. The game is also very popular among kids today since the franchise has expanded since the late 90’s giving it a huge cross-generational audience.
The success of Pokémon Go is rooted in the branding and popularity Nintendo built in the late 90’s. Thanks to their success back then, they’ve been able to recapture that audience, build on their already gigantic brand, and effectively create Poké-mania 2.0. Not that everyone has the benefit of capitalizing on the kind of prior success that Pokémon had, but Pokémon Go shows what building such a strong brand can do presently and the benefits it can have even over a decade later.
Pokémon Go is a two-fold example of marketing success. In addition to the strong brand presence that has been cultivated over the past 20 years, the game is a potential marketing gold mine for small local businesses and large box stores alike. Because the game centers around places, there is a lot of opportunity to use tools within the app to draw Pokémon and Players to your business.
Reference: http://www.slate.com/blogs/business_insider/2016/07/11/some_restaurants_are_using_pok_mon_go_to_catch_customers.html
Companies are offering everything from discounted food prices to free wifi and charging stations to encourage future Pokémasters to stop in. Potential consumers are choosing how they spend their time, where they are eating, working out, buying clothes, etc, in order to be closer to locations that have Pokémon. ‘Lures’ which are used to attract Pokémon (thus potential consumers!) to certain locations are available for purchase. Sponsorships are not yet available, but rumor has it that it’s only a matter of time. For a price, companies will most likely be able to make their business’ Pokéstops or Gyms. In the near future, it’s not unreasonable to think that entire marketing campaigns will be developed centered around Pokémon Go sponsorships.
Companies are also taking to social media to take advantage of the new craze. Whether it’s passing along tips about what types of Pokémon are nearby, offering discounts to Pokémon hunters, or creating Pokémon-themed fare, many businesses have very quickly recognized the opportunities this new craze offers. Click here to see a few of the businesses that have taken this approach.
It’s incredible how successful Pokémon Go has been and there is a lot to take away to apply to one’s own branding and marketing strategies. How long will the craze last? Only time will tell, which is all the more reason to use this tool to its fullest as quickly as possible.
FTC Issues Enforcement Policy Statement; Taking a Closer Look at Native Advertising
Headline: FTC Issues Enforcement Policy Statement; Taking a Closer Look at Native Advertising
In December 2015, the FTC released an enforcement policy statement and business guidance document further clarifying the appropriate use of native advertising the full enforcement policy statement and guidance document can be found at the following links here and here.
A native advertisement is an ad that utilizes the existing framework of where it is displayed to ‘blend in’ and look like part of whatever medium it utilizes. Many people see native ads as something that was invented by the internet, however, native advertising has been used as long as advertising has been around; in the early 1900’s publications contained ‘stories’ that were actually sponsored ads hidden in radio serials and ‘sponsored’ drama series weren’t uncommon in the early days of television. (Native Advertising: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know) Today, native ads include sponsored Facebook posts and tweets, ‘recommended for you’ articles on the side of a webpage, even entire Buzzfeed lists can be sponsored by a brand.
The FTC’s main concern is that native ads follow Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits ‘unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce … a representation, omission, or practice is deceptive if it is likely to mislead consumers acting reasonably under the circumstances and is material to consumers – that is, it would likely affect the consumer’s conduct or decisions with regard to a product or service.’ Since native advertisements ‘blend in’ they can be almost impossible to recognize as not part of the original site. Therefore, in most cases, advertisers must include a disclaimer in the ad that clearly labels that ad as an ‘advertisement’ the document even suggests how these disclosures should look and where they should live, in order to appropriately stand out.
Most native ads are already labeled to identify as advertisements. However, this new document is defining ‘clearly labeled’ a bit differently. A current common practice is to label ads as ‘sponsored by’ or ‘promoted by’. The thought is that these phrases, not including the actual word ‘advertisement’ may not clearly convey who is sponsoring or promoting the post and it could be cause consumers to mistakenly assume that the ads are from the publishing site – not an advertisement from a third party.
Where these stricter guidelines and presumed increased enforcement will lead the industry is not yet known. The IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) is currently reviewing the guidelines and a decision is yet to be made whether they will consider lobbying the FTC to change or clarify the language in the guidance document. ‘”While guidance serves great benefit to industry, it must also be technically feasible, creatively relevant, and not stifle innovation,” IAB VP of Public Policy Brad Weltman said in the IAB’s response. “To that end, we have reservations about some elements of the Commission’s Guidance.”’ (IAB Concerned About FTC Guidance On Native Advertising)
For now, we do not really know the full effect these new guidelines will have. In advertising, we are constantly pushing the limits and trying new things. We will have to wait and see how and if the FTC begins implementing penalties.
JMS Marketing Vetted by Google to Obtain Premier Digital Advertising Status
Northwest suburban marketing agency, JMS Marketing, is proud to announce that it has been recognized as a certified Google Partner.
Obtaining this partnership status signifies JMS Marketing uses Google’s best practices and allows the agency access to special events and training, industry research, product updates, and the Google Partners Community.
Partners meet rigorous qualification standards in order to become a Google Partner and are fully vetted by Google. The technology company completed its audit of JMS Marketing’s Google AdWords accounts by ensuring the agency is using Google’s best practices, checking if the agency is in good standing financially, and with clients and vendors. Google also confirmed the agency is continuously improving results for its clients by updating its accounts with the most up-to-date features within the platform.
“In celebrating our 25th year in business, JMS Marketing is making a concerted effort to evolve with the ever changing marketing landscape,” said President, Jean Marie Saidler. “Last year we established a digital marketing division within our company and have seen impressive results for our clients. Becoming a Google Partner is just another way we are ensuring our clients have the most relevant marketing initiatives to stay ahead in their industries. We look forward to utilizing this partnership to bring further value to our clients.”
Every year, JMS Marketing employees are required to take and pass at least one of the Google exams. Currently, JMS Marketing employees hold Google Analytics, Google AdWords, and Google Video Advertising certifications.
By becoming a Google Partner, JMS Marketing allows clients access to advertising on the Google Search Engine Results Page, Google Display Network, and on YouTube. The agency also offers a wide range of traditional marketing opportunities ranging from graphic design, advertising, trade show marketing, public relations, marketing consultations, and web design.