Next-Generation Gaming Experience Can Increase Brand Interaction at Your Next Event

“Pokémon Go” has catapulted augmented reality and location-based games into the mainstream. Now you can use this same technology to build brand awareness at your next event.

As you’ll recall, the game utilizes the player’s mobile device’s GPS ability to locate and capture virtual creatures, called Pokémon, which appear on the screen as if they were at the same real-world location as the player.

So how can Pokémon Go be utilized in a corporate meeting environment?

It all starts with a story – your brand story as told in a customized, interactive narrative “hunt” comprising a series of challenges. As the story progresses, participants collect digital “badges” certifying that they’ve completed each particular challenge.

Challenges may incorporate Puzzles and Clues, trivia, photos, video, music, drag-and-drop games, and passcode challenges. The variety is limited only by the imagination.

This custom hunt experience can put the spotlight on:

• Your company’s product knowledge. For example, participants may be required to correctly answer a question or series of questions to receive a badge.
• Sponsors you want to highlight. Challenges are designed to be non-obtrusive, so sponsors don’t have to worry about being interrupted by players at inopportune times. For instance, a challenge sign could be placed in their booth and all players have to do is view the sign to be able to complete the challenge.
• Locations where you want to increase attendee traffic. Want to get more people to your opening session? Place information about a challenge in the speaker’s PowerPoint presentation. Want people to visit Sponsor booths? Host challenges on site.

To participate, attendees link to the hunt through an event app, just like any other website. Once there, players register on the hunt home page. Once players are registered in the system, their answers can be tracked and scored in real-time and a leaderboard can display players’ scores.

At a pre-set hunt kick-off time, players are able to access a list of challenges and where they must go to complete them. Challenges can be completed in any order. They may be accessible throughout the entire conference, or only at set times during the event.

Once a participant has completed a challenge, they collect their digital badge, along with a visual payoff such as an animation or short video.

Of course, the goal is to complete the entire set of challenges and win the competition. Prizes could range from leaderboard recognition to … whatever seems appropriate.

So why Pokémon Go?

• It’s a fun game, with plenty of reasons to interact and collaborate with others.
• Participants can play as individuals or as teams.
• It lacks extensive tutorials, leaving players to pool their brand and product knowledge and look to each other for answers and advice, and
• It incentivizes comparing collections to check on your progress against others.

It’s a great opportunity to tell your story and for attendees to interact with your brand!