In early July, Pokémon Go took the country by storm. A simple mobile game where the goal is to walk about and catch various types of Pokémon? It was guaranteed to be a success considering the game is part of one of the largest and most profitable entertainment franchises in history. If you want to get a sense of just how big this game has become, simply take a look on social media or news outlets where people are constantly talking about it. Nintendo has now earned an estimated $7.5 billion thanks to the game.
With just over a week after its release date, the game has more daily user engagement than the Facebook and Twitter apps. How did a childhood game, which made its first appearance in 1996, become such a phenomenon? It boils down to brand consistency, knowing your audience and timing.
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Brand Evolution
There’s a big difference in a complete makeover and an evolution. Pokémon, much like its characters, has evolved. Nintendo released the first game of the franchise in 1996 for Game Boy, which then led to spinoffs, card games, an animated series, a Monopoly game, plush toys and so much more.
After 20 years, Pokémon Go has proven that the brand is continuing to grow. With Nintendo’s constant growth, the company has always stayed true to delivering what its audience demands. The company knows that in order to keep its customers wanting more, it has to evolve and deliver something new while holding onto what made the Pokémon franchise popular in the first place, its unique characters and the nostalgia of childhood. Introducing new concepts and themes, but still holding onto a core customer base, is Nintendo’s marketing genius.
Nostalgia
Nostalgia is almost always guaranteed to score a returning fanbase. The Star Wars series did that with its latest entry, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. By bringing back the characters and concepts that birthed the multibillion-dollar franchise, the film went on to become an instant hit. The same can be said for different forms of marketing. T-shirts, for example, can become hot sellers if designed with nostalgia. It isn’t unusual to see a person wearing clothing or owning a personal item with their favorite superhero or cartoon character on it. By using nostalgia, everyone will be enticed.
That’s exactly what Pokémon Go has done. It has advanced past its 90s days of cartoons, card battles and Game Boy games into what we use most, our phones. Although the game was primarily aimed at the fans that grew up with franchise, it is also attracting new fans through this history-making mobile game.
The same concept should be used in digital marketing. The industry is constantly changing, and in order to attract new customers and retain current ones, companies need to evolve by providing new services to deliver results. Imagine It Studios not only offers SEO services, we also utilize social media platforms, which, until only a few years ago, wasn’t common in the industry, and its worked very well for our clients.
More Time to Catch Them All!
Pokémon Go was released in the summer. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Nintendo is the world’s largest video game company by revenue, and it doesn’t believe in coincidences. How horrible would it be if they’d launched the game during the school year? Schools, teachers and parents would be outraged at having to deal with such a distracting game.
Nintendo knew what they were doing when choosing a launch window. They are meticulous at marketing, planning and giving you more time to catch them all! We see the digital marketing world the same way. We don’t believe in coincidences either. We simply do our homework when learning which marketing craze will be the next thing for the benefit of our clients.
The Times Are Changing
At Imagine It Studios, a few of us are die-hard Pokémon fans, but in the end, we all dedicate our jobs to understanding the marketing world and the next craze. Times are changing, and we know how to market to your target audience to intrigue and engage them. Let’s get started on your quest to being found online today. Visit us in McAllen to learn more about what we can do for you.