Pokémon Go is now the biggest mobile game in U.S. history. Just a few days after launching, the viral game hit 21 million daily users. Just for comparison, the popular matching game Candy Crush has roughly 20 million users.
With the new version, players get alerts from their phones when Pokémon are hiding nearby, so as they’re going about their day—working, grocery shopping, gathering at the bar—they can catch ‘em all wherever they go.“When we visit properties, we’re seeing 50 to 100 people at a time out hunting for Pokémon. Several people were dressed up in dinosaur costumes and all sorts of crazy stuff. They looked like they were having fun,” says Stephanie McCleskey, vice president of research at Axiometrics.
1. Have a “catch-’em-all” party. Provide beverages and some burgers and hot dogs, and invite the residents to catch the Pokémon around the property. Make sure you have a shop and/or gym on-site and devise a point system. The winner gets a gift card, or something like a month’s free top-price parking.
2. “Lure” potential residents. The Pokémon Go app allows businesses to purchase “lures,” which unleash a gaggle of Pokémon in a certain area for a set period of time. Advertise where and when the cute little creatures will be available, and watch the foot traffic soar. Of course, have refreshments available, signage with specials, etc. Perhaps offer a special concession to those who catch a Pokémon on-site and apply right then.
Of course, this would require special security measures, since this could attract people who may not have good intentions. There have been reports of thieves and robbers stalking Pokémon hotbeds waiting for victims whose concentration is on their phones.
3. Hold a Pokémon gym competition. If your property includes a Pokémon gym, encourage residents to come in and battle each other for control of the space. This can be done in a tournament format. The winner gets a gift card.
4. Throw a student housing welcome party. Assuming Pokémon Go is still “a thing” in mid- to late August when students return to college for the fall semester, a property can get its residents socializing with a Pokémon-themed welcome party
