Pokemon Go. Why this brand continues to capture the imagination of the user?

Pokemon Go. Why this brand continues to capture the imagination of the user?

Not convinced: Here is some stats from the App Institute.

A key question for digital strategists and in fact anyone involved with the development of marketing strategy is: Why Pokemon Go is such a powerful brand?

Real Virtuality of the Digital Brand

The main factor relates to the concept of the real virtuality of the digital brand. Please read our paper here that explains the model. This is a practice-based model that emerged from our observation of branding practice in digital markets.

Davis, R.A., Buchanan–Oliver, M. and Brodie R. J. (2000), “Retail Service Branding in Electronic–Commerce Environments”, Journal of Service Research, 3(2), 178–186. [ABDC Ranking: A*]

Proposition 3 is important in this paper:

Simply put: the brand Pokemon Go supports the physical offline reality. In fact it is argued that the brand is the gameplay. Hence, players are fully immersed in both the virtual as well as real (physical) image setting. Don’t confuse reality virtuality with virtual reality. They are very different. Virtual reality is about full immersion in virtual worlds to the complete exclusion of the physical.

Real virtuality creates a cognitive system that inter-plays the real with the virtual. However, the virtual is purely cognitive.

Brand Equity

Other factors that explain the power of this brand reside within the underlying brand equity that Pokemon has established with its user base. This is explained with the Kevin Lane Keller brand equity model. Go to his site here. It started with this paper:

Kevin Lane Keller (1993), “Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-Based Brand Equity,” Journal of Marketing, 57 (January), 1-22.

The underlying brand knowledge, brand image and the experience this creates: creates an enduring relational engagement.