July 27, 2016

“If only we had a fresh way to engage our audiences,” says the marketer, taking another sip of coffee. Sometimes, Pokémon-shaped opportunities drop right into your lap.

So how are higher ed marketers taking advantage of this phenomenon to engage students and community?  

Joining The Hunt

Plenty of colleges have joined in to catch ‘em all around campus. Some (like University of Louisiana at Lafayette) have hosted meetups to gather trainers from around campus:

Great turn out for the #PokemonGO meetup!#GeauxCajuns #GottaCatchEmAll pic.twitter.com/izVpf6tgqB

— UL Lafayette (@ULLafayette) July 9, 2016

Texas State and Texas A&M took their Pokémon skills a step further by starting a Pokemon battle on Twitter.

Maps and Murals

To make it easier for students to find Pokémon across their campuses, schools like Santa Fe College in Florida and St. Vincent College in Pennsylvania have created pages with “Poké-Maps” of their campuses.

Eastern Kentucky is another one of the colleges that created Pokémon Go central for their students, and one student is applying his art skills to making murals of his favorite Pokémon across campus.

More Ways to Engage

Though it’s caught on for nearly all ages, According to a recent Vox article, 58.8% of downloaders are 18-24. Though the fad may fade quickly, it’s a golden opportunity to connect with students, both current and prospective, and the community. 

Can’t get students to sign up for campus tours? If only you had an incentive! Washington State University Tri-Cities launched a Pokémon Go campus tour, led by a fellow enthusiast that includes time at Pokéstops and gyms along the way.

It works for new students too—Alfred State is harnessing Pokémon power for a freshman orientation campus tour, encouraging students to explore campus and training them on how to use Pokémon Go to connect with fellow students and successfully integrate into campus life.  

The University of Kentucky found a great way to get the community on campus by opening up Commonwealth Stadium for Pokémon Go.

Your turn to make a big catch on the field at Commonwealth.

Let’s play some Pokemon Go tomorrow afternoon at 4:30. pic.twitter.com/5JBVrSYWBK

— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) July 19, 2016

Not the typical highlight reel from Commonwealth Stadium… #PokemonGo pic.twitter.com/7JlzYHsE3i

— UniversityofKentucky (@universityofky) July 22, 2016

What About You?

How are you engaging students and your community with Pokémon Go? How do you think augmented reality games like this one will impact the future of higher ed marketing?