Nintendo's latest mobile phone (and mobile) game just keeps smashing records - it's already the biggest mobile game in the US and is looking set to become a worldwide phenomenon.
It's not relevant to insurance though is it? Well it is sort of introducing new risks with players being mugged and wandering into dangerous places including Downing Street in London apparently.
What's more interesting to me though is the mix of gamification, rewards for movement and the way it is making people meet up in novel locations.
Two opportunities sprang to mind for the industry:
- What's most interesting to me is that if we were to measure health app's impacts by how far they get people to walk Pokemon Go could be the biggest health app of 2016, despite only launching in July. I'm curious how the Vitality and similar propositions rewarding customers for healthy behaviour will respond to the sudden uptick in activity.
- From an advertising point of view and ability to drive foot traffic to say, an agents office, Pokemon Go has huge potential - potential not missed on the developers as hidden code in the game already points to a hook up with McDonalds. For now though, if you have a Pokemon gym at your office location it might be a great time to do a little advertising or push that recruitment drive you've been thinking about.
As a technologist the photos springing up around the world of "Squirtle" being found in toilets (be careful where you point the camera) also goes to show how augmented reality has become mainstream as well, along with the threats AR and virtual reality could pose in at least distracted walking. I love that the digital and physical world are coming together and it's actually bringing families together too.
Whilst some will marvel at this latest craze, for those insurers with investments in the real world like agencies, offices, billboards - and for those that are agile enough - this surprise trend could serve as a great marketing route to catching all the customers, as well as all the Pokemon.
