Nostalgia can be incredibly powerful; that certainly has been demonstrated with the release of Pokemon Go in North America!

Pokemon Go isn’t just for kids either; baby boomers, millennials and Gen Z’s are all playing, which has attracted the attention of business and marketers. While coffee shops, cafes, and bars appear to be the first businesses to catch on to the marketing potential of Pokemon Go, other industries are watching and taking note.

One realtor in Victoria, BC has already started to utilize Pokemon Go to lure interest into a home for sale. He’s not the only one doing this either; there are reports from San Francisco, Cincinnati, Williamsburg and more with realtors and renters using Pokemon Go in their marketing strategies. Student housing is an industry that could cash in on this opportunity in a few different ways.

 

1. Pokemon Go Lease Promotions:

Some student housing properties are on the (poke)ball and have already launched Pokemon Go related marketing campaigns. Take RezOne Waterloo, for example. They are currently running a promotion where level 17+ Pokemon Go players can get a $200 Visa gift card when they sign a lease. Another example is The Hub at Columbia, where they are incorporating Charizard into a ‘hot summer deal’.

Considering the bottom line is most important in apartment marketing (signing leases), it takes some brainstorming on how to employ Pokemon Go marketing strategies that generate ROI and lead to signing leases.

2. Catch-‘Em All Resident Party:

Credit goes to Axiometrics for coming up with this one – hosting a Catch-‘Em All resident party. Normally, a successful and engaging resident party is no easy task to accomplish and it can be cumbersome getting community members to partake willingly in any resident event. However, with Pokemon Go, student housing communities have a very easy way to pull residents out and get them to interact and engage with one another.

A Pokemon Go themed resident party would be particularly successful in late August/early September, when many students are moving in and communities host welcome parties (given it’s still popular by then). Pokemon Go requires players to travel around, which would encourage movement throughout the community. 
 

3. Pokemon Go Amenities:

While marketers can’t control where Pokestops and Gyms are (but they might be able to in the future), they may get lucky and have one land nearby or directly on their community grounds. Realtors and apartment markets are alreadyadvertising nearby Pokemon amenities as a selling point. While these Pokemon amenities may not be what secure a lease; at the very least, they can attract more foot traffic and keep potential residents entertained.

No nearby Pokestops or Gyms? Don’t fret! There’s a good probability that local businesses will eventually be able to pay to set their location as a Pokemon hotspot. 
 

4. Using Lures to literally ‘Lure’ Tenants:

Unfortunately this tactic will only work if a student housing community has a Pokestop on its premise or nearby. There is an item that is referred to as a ‘lure’, which attracts more Pokemon to a destination for 30-minutes. These lures not only attract Pokemon but tend to attract a lot of players seeking Pokemon. Lures can be acquired for free through the game, or they can also be purchased through micro-transactions in the game.

Lures would be most effective to use during open houses, as they are bound to keep potential residents around longer and drive more foot traffic. Even if they are only there for the Pokemon, it will still make the property look very popular to actual prospective tenants.  
 

5. Social Media Content:

Generating content for social media can be time-consuming and it’s difficult to connect with fans with the latest algorithm updates on Facebook and Instagram. Many student housing communities are using Pokemon Go curated content to appeal to their target demographic. West 20 in Florida is one example of a community connecting with residents on social media by relating to Pokemon Go.

When curating Pokemon Go content for social media, it’s important to try and link it back to the community or student housing. West 20 does a good job at this by highlighting that there are various Pokemon around their community.

For more great ideas, check out The National Apartment Association’s list of 10 ways that various communities are utilizing Pokemon Go.