What happens when an unstoppable force meets a billion people?

Executive summary

Executive Summary

Biggest mobile game in US History (daily users)

21 million active daily users, we are talking about.

14 million dollars

Executive Summary

Official Rollout in only 3 countries yet

Executive Summary

Population of over 1 billion

Large proportion of population in the 17-30 age category

Widespread following of Pokemon franchise among target audience

Executive Summary

Broad Goals

Tap into market potential and ensure large number of installations on rollout

Invest in social media marketing, as well as innovate globally AND locally to ensure high number of daily users.

Ensure micro -transactions in the game rise with the number of users, and find alternate ways of revenue.

Executive Summary

Marketing Tools

Word of mouth

publicity

Social Media Marketing

Smart Associations

with prominent

brands

Situation Analysis

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Pioneer in Augmented Reality Gaming

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Niantic Labs

Backed by Google

Partnership with Nintendo over Pokemon

Ever increasing number of

mobile users

Unparalleled in its

augmented reality gaming

platform

Market overview

Market Leader in number of daily users.

Fast approaching market leadership in total number of downloads

No direct competitors but competition from mobile apps like Snapchat and Tinder in number of downloads, and apps like Candy Crush and Clash of Clans in daily use.

Target market

Young adults

(16-35)Children between

the ages of 8 and 15

Mobile Phone Users (Android, iOS)

goal

Short-Term (3 months)

Maximum number of installs.

Surpassing giants like Facebook and Twitter on time spent daily

Collect feedback and innovate. Award rewards for loyalty.

LONG-TERM GOALS (1 YEAR)

Build up revenue from in-game micro-transactions and find other avenues for revenue generation. Revenue should be comparable to leading apps like Whatsapp, Tinder etc. Ensure initial buzz in the app doesn’t die out by introducing rewards for loyalty as well as constantly innovating based on market feedback.

STRATEGY

CUSTOMERS

PRIMARY CUSTOMERS

SECONDARY CUSTOMERS

customers

Wants Met

The primary target segment has grown up on the Pokemon franchise and displays large amount of nostalgia for it, which can be used. This is also an opportunity to take social networking out of one’s houses, and onto the roads.

collaborators

Source of funding

App Distributors

Direct Partners

Possible collaborators

Entities which are featured in the game will receive a larger attendance and will see it a wise

move to invest in the app.

Possible collaborators

These have massive reach in the Indian audience and can be huge in attracting the secondary

market segment into using the app.

competitors

Customer value

Pokemon Go offers the Indian Customer a unique blend of modern technology via its revolutionary augmented reality gaming platform and nostalgia via the much loved Pocket Monsters-Pokemon

It manages to take social networking back onto the streets, and gets people to look around, and really see what is around them. It’s a social experience while being a personal one.

The product will create its own category with its positioning marketing itself as an experience, and not just a game. The app has to be lived, and not merely played.

Collaborator value

Renewed interest in its own product line. Massive Revenue.

Boost in sales if teamed with a freebie related to the app. Known to have worked in the past.

Similar to the above, but given the growing awareness about health, it might be wiser to associate with healthier products, if the target is children.

tacTics

product

A free product but with in-app micro-transactions available. These would be more appealing the longer one plays the game.

A game marketed as an experience, with features of augmented reality gaming, geo-tagging and social networking embedded within it.

brand

Well established, huge base of loyal customers. High brand recognition, and positive recall.

Relatively new brand, but co-branding this app might be the big break needed.

Price and incentives

In-app micro-transactions can range from 60 rupees to 6000 rupees, depending on its value in the game. However, the game can be played free of cost, even without these.

For the app to be successful, it has to retain a majority of its customers, and loyalty rewards are important here. Customers should be highly incentivized for sticking to the app over a long period. This could be in the form of in-game bonuses to be consistent with the rest of the app.

Company personnel should be incentivized with stock options and bonuses for coming up with innovations in the game which make it better qualitatively as well as increase customer base retention.

communication

Communication

Social Media Marketing

Brand Associations

Word of Mouth

publicity

Public Gatherings like Comic-

Con

This presentation was made by Rushabh Menon (IIT Madras), as a part of the Marketing Internship by Prof. Sameer Mathur (IIM Lucknow)

DISCLAIMER