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A cellphone screen shows the game Pokemon Go.
Pokemon Go is way beyond a trend, it is a certified bonafide global phenomenon. Released less than 10 days ago, it is now bigger than Tinder and Twitter. It has overtaken Candy Crush as the biggest game in the US ever, and it is on course to beat Snapchat and Google Maps in terms of usage and daily active users.
Marketers in the US and the other countries are taking full advantage of this. Restaurant owners are putting up Pokemon ads to attract people. And looks like, even Indian startups have begun giving Pokemon inspired discount codes.
FLAT 100 OFF + Rs.100 CASHBACK ONLY TODAY! Min. order amount: 300. ORDER NOW! get.box8.in Code: POKEMON#Mumbai #Pune #Bangalore
Although the game has not arrived in India officially, many are playing it here. So much so that India is ranked 4th in terms of APK downloads of the game. Here is how you can get Pokemon Go in India and start playing.
FORBES
Businesses such as cafes, or startups and office spaces can attract more people by taking advantage of the Pokemon phenomenon. In the game, there is an element called 'Lures'. You can buy 'lures' and place it around Pokestops -- which would be your business -- to generate more Pokemons for a limited amount of time.
As explained in this Reddit thread, a brew house was offering discounted drinks to the members of a particular Pokemon Gym. There are three kinds of gyms, Red, Blue, and Yellow. Later, they began offering free t-shirts.
In India, a pack of 1200 Pokemon coins costs ₹620, and a pack of 8 lures costs 680 coins. Each lure lasts for half an hour, so the pack will last for 4 hours. In 4 hours a restaurant can earn a lot by luring more and more customers.
A Gizmodo report even suggests that there will now be sponsored Pokemon Go Gyms. McDonald might have signed a deal with Niantic, the makers of the game, to have the 'gyms' inside their restaurants.
The possibilities are many. More partnerships can be formed over time or Pokeman Go makers can even put modules where business owners can make their establishment a gym. Businesses can also lure customers with Pokemon Go t-shirts, badges and customized merchandise.
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