How companies are riding the Pokemon Go craze

Photo credit: Robert Couse-Baker

This week, Niantic’s much-awaited augmented reality game Pokemon Go launched in 15 more countries in Asia and Oceania, sending literally millions of people into a frenzy.

Not one to miss out on the opportunity, companies have unleashed varying tactics to ride the phenomenon and drum up their business.

Here are some of the stuff we’ve spotted:

Lures to ‘catch them all’

Lures are possibly the best method for players (called trainers) to widen their Pokemon inventory so it’s often used by companies in their promos. Real estate, retail, and restaurant businesses were the first to cash in.

For instance, Singtel is releasing thousands of Lure Modules at PokeStops near its shops in Singapore to transform each site into a hotspot for catching Pokemon and collecting game items such as Poke Balls, potions, and eggs.

That’s obviously a way to increase foot traffic in the telco’s stores. On top of the Lure Modules, Singtel launched an online contest where players post photos of their Pokemon Go experience on their social media accounts using the hashtag #Singtel and #PokemonGoSG for the chance to win a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 handset.

Singapore-based real estate firm CapitaLand also launched an online-to-offline campaign where members of its cashless rewards program CAPITASTAR can earn points for snapping a screenshot of a Pokemon in one of the company’s property developments and uploading it on Instagram with the hashtag #PokemonSTAR. The points can be converted into vouchers, which can be used in all of CapitaLand’s malls.

In Malaysia, restaurant booking app Offpeak kicked off a Lure series where it’ll be dropping Lure Modules across Klang Valley. The promo is expected to bring more customers to Offpeak’s restaurant partners in what’s said to be the commercial heart of the country.

Pokemon Go map

Ride-hailing app Grab has just made it easier for Pokemon Go users to complete their Pokedex with a crowdsourced map of Pokemon locations in Singapore. On Grab’s site, players can click on the “Launch Map” icon to view a custom Google map providing them a Pidgey-eye view of rumored and verified Pokemon spawn sites, nests, and gym locations. They can use the map to locate their most-desired Pokemon and even find hidden Grab promo codes. All information on the map, which has been viewed at least 500,000 times, comes from Pokemon trainers and is updated periodically, says Grab.

Pokemon on the go!

In India, auto aggregator Jugnoo has integrated the world’s most popular game into its app.

The app, which lets people book an autorickshaw, now shows all PokeStops and gyms.

The company says it’s offering a safe alternative by letting users take an auto rather than drive to these stops.