The latest craze of Pokemon Go demonstrates how something nonexistent one day can take the world by storm the next, bringing gamification to the streets and enabling businesses to advertise in new ways, by sponsoring locations, for example.
In the future, the game will enable the ability to drive user traffic to street vendors, retail stores, restaurants and so on by encouraging them to buy virtual “loots”. Now the question is: how will businesses and merchants be able to jump on this craze and attract users to buy their own products and further, what is the future in-store mobile payments solutions for ‘Pokemon Go-ers’?
Daniel Döderlein is the CEO and founder of Auka, a pioneering mobile payments company compares Pokemon Go with the success of Scandinavian mobile payments, Daniel comments, “the fast adoption mobile payments providers enjoyed was due largely to making mobile payments available ‘anytime’ and ‘anywhere’.”
“This is what they both have in common: Pokemon Go takes users anywhere at any time whilst Scandinavian mobile payments companies provide payment solutions in the cloud that enable businesses and merchants with the same possibilities. The tipping point will come when merchants implement payment solutions that cater to Pokemon go users.”
Daniel says that businesses must ensure that they are ready for mobile in-store payments or they may see themselves losing out in reaching this new game-driven audience.
“Pokemon Go is available to anyone in the market. The game has an easy enrollment process where the player chooses a username and password and gets going. Merchants will also need to develop mobile payment solutions that are quick and efficient and adapted to this ‘on-the-go’ audience.
“Pokemon Go also encourages the user to interact with points of interest based on location. Merchants and businesses should also replicate this by providing access to nearby merchants and offerings from them based on a location and preferences with quick mobile payment solutions.
“Furthermore, Pokemon Go has vital interaction functionality – allowing you to compete with your friends and soon challenge them in trainer battles. Merchants with apps need to consider including socialisation elements – allowing in app engagement with friends and contacts.”
